5>.^, 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


A 


1.0 


1.1 


11.25 


IttlM    125 


IIS 

i» 
u 


Lo    12.0 


■IHU 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporalion 


23  WIST  MAIN  STMiT 

WIBSTIR,N.Y.  MSN 

(716)  t73-4S03 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICMH 
Collection  de 


Canadian  Instituta  for  Historical  IMieroraproduetiont  /  Inititut  Canadian  da  microraproductions  historiquas 


Tachnical  and  Bibliographic  Notaa/Notas  tachniquaa  at  bibliographiquaa 

Tha  Inatituta  haa  attamptad  to  obtain  tha  baat 
original  copy  availabia  for  filming.  Faaturaa  of  thia 
copy  which  may  ba  bibliographically  uniqur. 
which  may  altar  any  of  tha  imagaa  in  tha 
raproduction,  or  which  may  aignificantly  changa 
tha  uaual  mathod  of  filming,  ara  chaekad  balow. 

L'Inatitut  a  microfilm*  la  maillaur  axamplaira 
qu'il  lui  a  *t4  poaaibia  da  ta  procurar.  Laa  ditaila 
da  cat  axamplaira  qui  aont  paut-*tra  uniquaa  du 
point  da  vua  bibliographiqua,  qui  pauvant  modifiar 
una  imaga  raproduita,  ou  qui  pauvant  axigar  una 
modification  dana  la  m^thoda  normala  da  fiimaga 
aont  indiqute  ci-daaaoua. 

yA   Colourad  covara/ 
Jj   Couvartura  da  coulaur 

~7\  Colourad  pagaa/ 
^   Pagaa  da  coulaur 

1 — 1   Covara  damagad/ 

1 1   Couvartura  andommagia 

~~|   Pagaa  damagad/ 
1   Pagaa  andommagiaa 

Covara  raatorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
1 1   Couvartura  raatauria  at/ou  paliiculAa 

1   Pagan  raatorad  and/or  laminatad/ 
-J   Pagaa  raataurtea  at/ou  palliculAaa 

I — I   Covar  titia  miaaing/ 


La  titra  da  couvartura  manqua 


□   Colourad  mapa/ 
Cartaa  gtegraphiquaa  an  coulaur 


D 


Colourad  inic  (i.a.  cvhar  than  blua  or  black)/ 
Encra  da  coulaur  (i.a.  autra  qua  blaua  ou  noira) 


|~n   Colourad  plataa  and/or  illuatrationa/ 


a 


n 


D 


Planchaa  at/ou  illuatrationa  91%  coulaur 


Bound  with  othar  matarial/ 
RaliA  avac  d'autraa  documanta 


Tight  binding  may  cauaa  ahadowa  or  diatortion 
along  intarior  margin/ 

Laraliura  aarrAa  paut  cauaar  da  I'ombra  ou  da  la 
diatortion  la  long  da  la  marga  intiriaura 

Blank  laavaa  addad  during  raatoration  may 
appaar  within  tha  taxt.  Whanavar  poaaibia,  thaaa 
hava  baan  omittad  from  filming/ 
II  aa  paut  qua  cartainaa  pagaa  btanchaa  ajoutiaa 
lora  d'una  raatauration  apparaiaaant  dana  la  taxta, 
maia,  loraqua  cala  Atait  poaaibia,  caa  pagaa  n'ont 
paa  At*  f  ilm«aa. 

Additional  commanta:/ 
Commantairaa  supplAmantairaa.- 


0   Pagaa  diacolourad.  stainad  or  foxad/ 
Pagaa  dAcolortea.  tachattea  ou  piquias 


Pagaa  datachad/ 
Pagaa  d6tachtea 


r^  Showthrough/ 


Tranaparanca 

Quality  of  prir 

Qualiti  inigala  da  I'impraaaion 

Includaa  auppiamantary  matarii 
Comprand  du  material  supplAmantaIra 

Only  adition  availabia/ 
Sauia  Mition  diaponibia 


rn   Quality  of  print  varias/ 

r~1   Includaa  auppiamantary  matarial/ 

I — I   Only  adition  availabia/ 


D 


Pagaa  wholly  or  partially  obacurad  by  arrata 
aiipa.  tiaauaa,  ate.  hava  baan  rafilmad  to 
anaura  tha  bast  poaaibia  imaga/ 
Laa  pagaa  totalamant  ou  partiallament 
obacurciaa  par  un  fauillat  d'arrata.  una  pelure. 
ate  ont  M  filmAas  A  nouvaau  da  faqon  & 
obtanir  la  maillaura  imaga  poaaibia. 


Thia  itam  ia  filmad  at  tha  raduction  ratio  chaekad  balow/ 

Ca  documant  aat  fiimi  au  taux  da  reduction  indiouA  ci-daaaoua. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

y 

12X 


16X 


aox 


24X 


28X 


32X 


Th«  copy  fllm«d  h«r»  has  been  raprodiietd  thanks 
to  tlw  9«n«rMity  off: 


L'Momplairo  fHmA  ffut  raproduit  grico  i  la 
gAnAroait*  da: 


Nflw  Bniniwick  MuMum 
Saint  John 

Tha  imagas  appaaring  hara  ara  tha  baat  quality 
poaalbia  eonsidaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
off  tha  original  copy  and  in  icaaping  with  tho 
filming  contract  spacifficationa. 


Original  copiaa  in  printad  papar  covara  ara  ffilmad 
baginning  with  tha  ffront  covar  and  anding  on 
tha  iaat  paga  with  a  printad  or  iiluatratad  Impraa- 
•ion,  or  tha  bacic  covar  whan  appropriata.  Ail 
othar  original  copiaa  ara  ffilmad  baginning  on  tha 
ffirst  paga  with  a  printad  or  iiluatratad  impraa- 
sion,  and  anding  on  tha  Iaat  paga  with  a  printad 
or  iiluatratad  impraaaion. 


Tha  Iaat  racordad  fframa  on  aach  microfflQha 
•hail  contain  tha  symbol  — ^^  (moaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  tha  symbol  ▼  (moaning  "END"), 
whichavar  appliaa. 

IMapa.  platas,  charts,  ate.,  may  ba  ffilmad  at 
diffffarant  raduction  ratioa.  Thoaa  too  larga  to  ba 
antiraly  included  in  ona  axpoaura  ara  ffilmad 
baginning  in  tha  uppar  lafft  hand  comar.  lafft  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  aa  many  fframas  aa 
raquirad.  Tha  ffollowing  diagrams  illustrata  tha 
mathod: 


Naw  Bruniwiclc  MuNum 
Saint  John 

Laa  imagaa  suh^antaa  ont  4tA  raproduitaa  avac  la 
plua  grand  soin,  compta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattati  da  i'axamplalra  ffllm*.  at  an 
confformiti  avac  laa  conditiona  du  contrat  da 
ffilmaga. 

Laa  aKamplairaa  originaux  dont  la  couvartura  an 
papiar  aat  imprim4a  sont  ffiim4a  an  comman9ant 
par  la  pramiar  plat  at  an  tarminant  soit  par  la 
damlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
d'impraasion  ou  dlHuatration,  soit  par  la  sacond 
plat,  salon  la  caa.  Toua  laa  autraa  axampiairaa 
originaux  sont  ffilmAs  an  conr.'nan^ant  par  la 
pramlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  amprainta 
dimpraaaion  ou  dllluatiration  at  an  tarminant  par 
la  darnlAra  paga  qui  comporta  una  talla 
amprainta. 

Un  daa  symbolos  suh/ants  apparattra  sur  la 
damiAra  imaga  da  chaqua  microfficha.  salon  lo 
caa:  la  symbola  -i»>  signiffia  "A  8UIVRE".  la 
symbols  ▼  signiffia  "FIN". 

Laa  cartaa,  pianclias.  tabiaaux.  ate.,  pauvant  Atra 
ffilm4a  i  daa  taux  da  reduction  diffff^ants. 
Lorsquo  la  document  aat  trop  grand  pour  Atra 
raproduit  an  un  saui  clichA.  il  aat  ffiim*  i  partir 
da  I'angia  supAriaur  gaucha,  da  gaucha  i  droita. 
at  da  haut  an  Imw.  an  pranant  la  nombra 
d'imagaa  nAcaasaira.  Las  diagrammas  suivanta 
illustrant  la  mAthoda. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4- 

5 

6 

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lAMPfON  OARSMAN 


V/lTtI  iLLaST^tWHS  »#>P0HTIVMTS Of  f/^MOUS POWERS. 
1        .^"^^^^^ 


^^OlVAL   POLICE   GA^ 


NEW  Y0RK.1? 


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FISTIANA'S  HEROES. 


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CHAJBTOSS  OP  THE  AMERICAS  PRBS  RWO. 

Soi^tt^iDen  who  h«ye  won  ftime  lo  th.  «rtic  .r.n». 

issuBB  Finar  of  bach  month. 

' ♦  — 

PUBLISHED    BY 

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ieie»t     by     Mall     «i*     reeelpt     or    gtS     oent.!.. 


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TO  BE  HAD  FBOM  ALL  NBWSBEALEBS. 


nimi 

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•in  01  oomppo  HI  -jmapai 
«ai|  qon*  «if»Hat»aioM  )u 
MMoivaivmn  qtoq'naom 


Pi^MlAoOM*^  oqMVMBUM  |OIM|»|0V 

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ItJOMP  W>»WjdlW|jWW««n 9\ 

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leWorld. 


columns  are 
and  deeds  of 
ading  matter, 


iths,$1.00. 


Lsher, 

EW    YOBK. 


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EDWABD  EMOJiS, 


rih;  ' 


AMERICA'S 


'Witlk   HlMtory    and   Portrait* 


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HISTORY    AND    PORTRAIT    OF 


EDWARD  A.  TRICKETT, 


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fkf  fliNt  Autnllu  Oinmu. 


FDBLISHED  AT    THE 

POLICE    GAZETTE    OFFICE,    NEW    YORK, 

BT'TBARD  K.   WOX,  PBOPBIBTOB. 


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EDWARD    HANLAN. 


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■     0 


INTRODUCTION. 


• 


The  wonderful  victories  of  Edward  Hanlan,  the  champion  oarsman,  both 
in  America  and  Oreat  Britain,  have  created  quite  a  sensation  In  sporting  circles 
all  over  the  world.  Ou  behalf  of  the  distinguished  champion  we  present  to  the 
public  a  book  which  contains  a  faitliful  picture  of  the  great  oarsnMin,  and  a  com- 
plete and  authentic  history  of  his  life  from  the  time  he  first  learned  to  paddle  a 
"dingy"  on  Toronto  Bay  until  he  won  the  proud  title  of  Ohampiox  Oabsman  or 
THE  World. 

The  book  also  contains  a  picture  of  Edward  A.  Trlckett,  of  Australia,  the 
champion  of  the  world  before  Hanlan  defeated  -  him.  A  full  and  complete  his- 
tory of  Trlckett  also  appears  In  this  work,  with  a  tabular  history  of  all  the  great 
boat  races  for  the  championship  of  England  from  1831  to  1880. 

Other  Interesting  matter  is  published,  which  makes  the  compact  little  work 
Interesting  and  valuable  as  a  record. 

The  book  has  been  compiled  by  Wm.  E.  Harding,  the  Sporting  Editor  of  the 
Police  Oazette,  of  New  Tork,  Richard  E.  Fox,  Publisher,  No.  183  William 
street,  New  York.  ,  , 


(I 


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4%. 


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J  Ik 


H  ANLAN. 


WHY     HE    EXCEUS    OTHER    OARSMEN-HANLAN'S  STYLE    OF 

ROWING. 


Hanlan's,  the  champion  oarsman,  great  ylotories  hare  been  rung  on  the 
changes  and  chronicled  throughout  the  sporting  world.  All  the  champion  oars- 
men and  wielders  of  the  "spruce"  have  been  compelled  to  succumb  to  his  won- 
derful powess  at  the  oar. 

Wallace  Boss,  Charles  E.  Courtney,  John  Hawdon,  William  Elliott,  Jamea 
Blley,  Edwards  and  Trickett— United  States,  Canada,  England  and  Australia, 
have  all  been  compelled  to  acknowledge  Hanlan's  supremacy  over  them  with 
the  oar. 

The  question  now  arises,  are  all  these  wonderful  victories  the  result  of  skill, 
dexterity  and  muscular  development,  or  have  models,  systems  and  methods 
played  an  important  part.  Hanlan's  victories  over  oarsmen  who  were  In  many 
cases  his  superior  physically  have  created  universal  wonder  and  surprise. 

The  secret  is,  Hanlan  is  one  of  the  most  finished  scullers  that  ever  sat  in  a 
shell.  By  constant  practice  and  invention  he  has  become  master  of  a  style 
which  it  will  take  years  for  oarsmen  to  copy.  He  rows  without  the  least  apparent 
fatigue  or  exertion,  and  although  an  opponent  may  do  twice  as  much  work,  and 
strain  himself  to  a  pitch  of  muscular  tension,  his  shell  will  fail  to  travel  as  fast 
as  Hanlan's. 

Hanlan's  style,  practice,  and  his  knowledge  of  the  oar  from  long  and  tried 
experience,  has  been  the  means  of  his  success, 

English  oar^en,  prior  to  Hanlan's  invasion  of  England,  boasted  that  their 
style  was  the  best.  Joseph  H.  Sadler,  in  1870,  came  here  from  England  and 
easily  defeated  every  oarsman  who  dared  meet  him.  Trickett  then  visited  Eng- 
land, and  by  slight  improvements  in  h  is  shell,  combined  with  muscle  and  extra 
strength,  defeated  Sadler.  Since  that  time  a  great  advancement  has  been  made 
in  boat  building  in  America.  Sliding  seats,  invented  by  Walter  Brown,  one  of 
America's  champion  oarsmen,  have  been  improved,  patent  out-riggers  and 
swivel  rowlocks  have  been  invented  and  also  added  to  American  racing  shells, 
so  that  English  oarsmen  are  behind  the  age,  as  they  failed  to  adopt  the  Ameri- 
can inventions.  These  advantages,  in  a  measure,  have  gained  for  Hanlan  the 
proud  title  of  champion  of  the  world,  and  created  a  revolution  in  the  building  of 
racing  shells  and  the  style  of  rowing  among  boating  men  in  England. 

Hanlan  claims  that  any  oarsman,  to  become  an  expert,  must  row  as  follows : 
"A  full,  long  reach  out  over  the  toes,  with  both  arms  straight ;  a  sharp,  clean 
'catch'  of  the  water ;  a  powerful,  steady,  horizontal  stroke,  with  an  application 
of  the  whole  force  at  the  moment  of  immersion ;  a  clean  feather  and  a  low,  quick 
recover,  shooting  out  at  the  moment  of  the  finish.  Good  form  is  especially 
desirable,  and  this  can  only  be  gained  by  steady  practice.  Some  professionals 
claim  that  the  long  slide  to  the  seat  is  the  best,  but  among  the  crack  oars  th« 

7 


THE  LJFS  OF  SDWABD   EANLAN. 


h: 


l^ 

'$'■ 


'-k. 


short  slide  is  being  adopted.  It  Is  of  the  greatest  importanoe  in  a  long  race  that 
the  lower  part  of  the  chest  should  be  as  free  as  possible,  otherwise  the  wind  wUi 
not  last.  It  has  been  shown  that  the  best  way  to  hold  out  in  a  long  race  ^' 
keep  the  back  straight,  head  er^ot,  shoulders  thrown  back  and  stomach  ov 
Oanmen  should  bend  from  the  hip,  and  not  double  themselves  up;  if  one  do  )>}. 
he  is  certain  to  lose  the  action .  of  the  lower  part  of  the  lungs.  The  head  should 
be  up  and  eyes  in  the  boat ;  nothing  is  so  bad  as  to  have  any  member  of  a  crew 
turning  or  looking  around.  The  knees  should  be  spread  well  apart,  thereby 
giving  the  loins  an  easy  and  more  powerful  action.  In  commencing  a  stroke, 
ttiearms  should  be  straight  and  at  full  length.  There  are  many  faults  to  be 
avoided  in  handling  the  oar,  one  of  the  most  important  being  the  dropping  of 
the  hands  too  low  at  the  end  of  the  recover.  Another  ftiult  is  that  of  dipping  too 
deep,  very  common  in  beginners,  and  caused  partly  from  raising  the  hands  in 
the  middle  of  the  stroke  instead  of  pulling  the  oar  straight  through  the  water. 
The  oar  should  be  put  on  its  face,  the  inner  part  slightly  turned  toward  the 
water.  In  this  way  only  the  blade  of  the  oar  will  be  immersed,  and  at  the  finish 
will  come  out  cleanly  without  lugging  or  danger  of  crabs.  Of  the  forward  reach 
and  dip,  tho  best  authorities  on  rowing  say:  When  the  forward  reach  is  taken 
the  blade  of  the  oar  should  travel  backwards  in  the  air  after  the  dip,  horizon- 
tally, at  a  distance  of  a  few  inches  from  the  water,  of  course  the  distance  depend- 
ing whether  the  water  is  rough  or  smooth.  As  regards  the  dip,  the  blade  should 
descend  to  the  proper  depth  before  any  force  is  applied,  otherwise  the  stroke  will 
out.  To  effect  this  the  hands  must  be  raised  sharply,  and  the  stroke  must  com- 
mence at  once." 

HISTOBT    OP    THE    OhAmPION. 

Edward  Hanlan  was  bom  in  Toronto,  on  July  12th,  1855,  but  while  he  was 
still  an  inttothis  parents  removed  to  the  Island,  which  has  continued  the  home 
of  the  ftoiily  ever  since.  Prior  to  his  coming  out  as  a  professional  sculler  Han- 
lan divided  his  time  between  fishing  and  looking  after  the  hotel  which  his  father 
had  opened  on  the  Island  not  long  after  he  first  moved  thither.  From  his  child- 
hood the  Canadian  champion,  though  very  fond  of  manly  sports,  has  always 
been  Industrious,  temperate,  and  very  correct  in  his  habits  and  conduct.  He 
stands  five  feet  eight  and  three-quarter  inches,  and  has  rowed  most  of  his  races 
at  firom  148  to  154  lbs.,  though  perhaps  152  or  153  lbs.  would  be  considered  his  best 
weight  for  a  hard  race.  From  his  childhood  Hanlan  was  very  much  on  the 
water,  and  when  quite  young  became  ambitious  to  win  fame  as  an  oarsman.  His 
first  attempts  at  rowing  with  outriggers  were  made  in  a  very  novel  craft  of  his 
own  design  and  construction.  It  was  a  two-inch  plank  sharpened  at  both  ends, 
and  furnished  with  a  slightly  elevated  seat  and  outriggers.  Though  uniformly 
successful  in  his  earlier  engagements,  Hanlan  was  singularly  slow  in  obtaining 
the  fome  and  reputation  that  his  abilities  as  an  oarsman  fairly  merited.  His 
first  appearance  in  a  race  was  made  when  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  form- 
ing one  of  a  crew  composed  of  fishermen.  In  the  following  year  he  figured  as  a 
successful  competitor  in  a  couple  of  skiff  races,  and  in  1873  first  rowed  a  race  in  a 
shell,  the  contest  being  for  the  amateur  championship  df  the  bay.  He  was  again 
victorious,  defeating  Sam  Williams  and  M cEen.  Next  year  he  met  Thomas 
Louden  in  a  race  for  the  championship  of  Burlington  Bay,  this  being  his  initial 
professional  engagement.  The  result  added  another  to  his  list  of  victories. 
Louden  challenged  him  to  row  another  race  over  a  mile  course  for  $100  a  side, 
in  the  summer  of  1875,  and  they  met  on  Toronto  Bay,  Hanlan  again  showing 
himself  to  be  the  better  man,  he  winning  by  nearly  two  lengths.  During  the 
same  season  he  won  a  medal  offered  by  the  Oovemor-Gteneral,  in  a  two  mile  pull 
at  Toronto,  defeating  Louden  and  James  Douglas.  In  the  spring  of  1876  he  van- 
quished Douglas  and  Wm.  McKen,  and  on  August  12th  following  became  pos- 
sessed of  the  belt  emblematic  of  the  championship  of  Ontario,  offered  by  the 


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TEE  LIFE  OF  EDWJL&D   HASIUK, 


Toronto  Bowing  Olub,  hla  only  opponent  being  MoKen.  At  this  regatta  Hsnlan 
likewise  won  a  fisherman's  race,  three  pair  of  soulls,  his  partners  being  MoKen 
and  A.  Elliott,  and  the  oraft  engaged  being  boats  aotually  in  use  that  summer. 
All  of  these  races  were  of  minor  importanoe,  however,  and  the  reputation  they 
brought  was  but  local. 

Hanlan  at  this  time  became  ambitious,  and  he  decided  to  enter  the  Inter- 
national Centennial  Begatta  held  at  Philadelphia  in  1876.  Among  the  United 
States  oarsmen  entered  to  row  in  the  single  scull  race,  which  was  for  the  Cham- 
pionship of  the  World,  was  Patrick  Luther  of  Pittsburg,  F.  A.  Plaisted  of  New 
Tork,  and  Harry  Coulter  of  Manchester,  Penn.,  the  ex-champion  of  America. 
Besides,  Halifax  also  sent  Alexander  Brayley,  their  champion,  who  was  confident 
of  success. 

Hanlan  quietly  went  to  Philadelphia,  and  without  the  least  pomp  or  display 
entered  into  training  for  the  race.  The  great  event  was  decided,  and  Hanlan 
won  easily,  rowing  the  three  miles  in  2lm.  9  l-2s.,  beating  the  fastest  time  on 
record.  After  this  great  victory,  Hanlan 's  name  became  famous  all  over  the 
world,  and'he  was  looked  upon  as  a  wonaer. 

In  the  trial  heats  of  the  regatta  Hanlan  defeated  Harry  Coulter,  Pat  Luther, 
Plaisted,  and  easily  disposed  of  Alex.  Brayley  in  the  final  heat.  When  Hanlan 
left  his  native  city  for  the  Centennial  Begatta  both  he  and  his  friends  were 
heartily  laughed  at  for  their  temerity  in  starting  an  unknown  callow  boy  against 
a  lot  of  seasoned  professionals.  When  he  came  back,  however,  a  great  change 
had  come  over  public  opinion  concerning  him,  and  a  torchlight  procession  and  a 
very  handsome  testimonial  awaited  him.  In  March,  1877,  the  Secretary  of  the 
Ontario  Bowing  Ciub  forwarded  one  hundred  dollars  in  gold  as  a  deposit  for  a 
proposed  match  between  Hanlan  and  Billy  Scharff  (then  champion)  to  row  three 
miles,  for  $1,000  a  silrle.  on  Toronto  Bay ;  but  as  Scharff  had  just  made  a  match 
with  Eph  Morris,  the  challenge  from  the  Canadian  was  not  accepted.  Hup  Ian 
next  appeared  at  the  regatta  held  on  Silver  Lake,  near  Boston,  Massachusetts, 
June  13,  when  he  was  defeated  by  Fred.  Plaisted,  Frenchy  Johnson,  and  others, 
he  meeting  with  a  mishap  in  the  shape  of  an  injured  outrigger.  On  June  26th 
another  regatta  was  held  on  the  same  water,  when  Hanlan  won  first  prize,  beat- 
ing Johnson  and  Driscoll,  Plaisted  not  starting. 

Hanlan  then  visited  Boston,  Mass.,  and  on  July  4th,  1877,  he  participated  in 
the  single  scull  race  at  the  Citizens'  Association  Bowing  Begatta  held  on  the 
Charles  Biver,  Boston,  and  was  ruled  out  for  fouling  Plaisted,  whom  he  ran  into 
at  the  turning-stake.  His  conduct  upon  this  occasion  gave  great  ofTence  to  the 
regatta  oflBoials,  who  subsequently  passed  a  resolution  recommending  that  in 
future  Hanlan  be  debarred  from  participation  in  all  races  under  municipal  man- 
agement. This  action  was,  however,  upon  appeal  from  Hanlan  himself,  and 
through  representations  of  gentlemen  who  had  taken  him  in  hand  after  his 
return  to  Canada,  reconsidered,  and  the  bar  against  him  removed.  After  the  vic- 
tory of  Wallace  Boss  over  Alexander  Brayley  in  the  fastest  time  on  record  for 
four  miles,  the  Toronto  sculler  published  a  challenge  to  Boss,  whose  backers 
were  not  prepared  to  talk  business  on  this  basis.  However,  Boss's  defeat  of  F. 
A.  Plalst«d,  of  New  York,  coupled  with  the  indifferent  performances  of  Hanlan  at 
Boston  and  vicinity,  inspired  them  with  greater  confidence,  and  about  the 
middle  of  August  Boss  came  out  with  a  challenge  to  row  any  man  in  the 
Dominion,  Hanlan  preferred,  a  nve  mile  race  for  $1,000  a  side,  offering  to  give  or 
take  $300  for  expenses,  to  row  at  St  John,  N.B.,  or  Toronto ;  or  to  row  at  Spring- 
field, Massachusetts,  each  paying  his  own  expenses.  This  suited  Hanlan,  and 
articles  wore  signed  to  contend  for  $1,000  a  side. 

This  race  was  the  real  turning  point  in  Hanlan 's  career.  True,  his  perform- 
ance at  the  Centennial  had  for  the  time  placed  him  very  high  in  public  estima- 
tion, but  his  want  of  success  in  the  Eastern  regattas  had  done  much  to  shake 
public  confidence  in  his  abilities.    Though  supported  by  good  men  for  this  con- 


.'!;„r,'rPV;iei5^<*^ 


10 


THE   LIFE   OF   EDWARD    HANLAN. 


.  1. 


test  with  Bo08,  he  did  not  reoeive  anything  like  that  care  and  attention  whioh  he 
has  sinoe  come  to  regard  as  a  matter  of  course.  The  boat  he  had  was  a  verj 
Indifferent  sort  of  craft,  manufactured  by  George  Warln,  of  Toronto,  and  what- 
ever attention  it  required  he  had  to  bestow  upon  it  himself.  In  those  days, 
instead  of  having  his  food  carefully  selected  for  him  by  a  thoroughly  competent 
trainer,  he  used  to  walk  out  to  the  butcher  stalls  and  select  his  own  steaks.  He 
'  had  good  friends  who  stuck  by  him,  though  on  the  very  day  of  the  race,  October 
15th,  1877,  a  majority  of  those  who  had  placed  their  money  upon  him  weakened 
and  hedged  out  as  much  as  they  could,  gladly  giving  f  100  to  $76  in  favor  of  Boss. 
In  spite  of  all  these  discouragements,  however,  Hanlan's  matchless  pluck  and 
coolness  never  forsook  him.  He  took  his  work  regularly  as  clock-work,  ate 
heartily,  and  ac&ually  took  such  a  satisfactory  siesta  after  an  early  dinner  on  the 
day  of  the  race  that  he  had  to  be  waked  out  of  a  sound  sleep  to  go  out  upon  the 
water  and  row  down  the  man  who  was  selling  in  the  pools  at  $100  to  $75,  and 
this  at  a  time  when  Hanlan  well  knew  that  many  who  had  been  his  staunohest 
supporters  were  hedging  out  what  they  had  invested  on  him  just  as  fast  as  they 
oould  find  takers  at  the  odds  just  quoted.  When  the  word  "Go"  was  given 
Hanlan  was  determined  no  mistakes  should  occur  so  far  as  he  was  concerned. 
He  shot  right  tr  the  front,  and  drawing  away  from  Boss  with  the  utmost  ease, 
won  without  any  trouble,  making  a  melancholy  exhibition  of  Boss,  who  was 
evidently  in  no  kind  of  shape  for  the  contest. 

At  Toronto  Bay,  on  May  15,  1878,  Hanlan  met  F.  A.  Plaisted,  of  New  York 
city,  in  a  two  mile  race,  straighinway,  for  $2,000. 

Hanlan  won  so  easily,  and  made  such  a  laughing  stock  of  Plaisted's  abilities 
as  an  oarsman,  that  the  judges  did  not  take  the  time. 

Hanlan's  next  race  was  for  the  championship  of  America,  for  which  he  had 
challenged  the  then  famous  sculler  Evan  Morris,  of  Pittsburg.  This  race  took 
place  on  the  Hulton  course,  Alleghany  Biver,  near  Pittsburg.  This  was  perhaps 
the  hardest  race  Hanlan  ever  had  in  a  match.  It  was  five  miles  with  a  turn, 
that  is,  they  rowed  two  and  a  half  miles  down  the  river  and  then  back  to  the 
starting  point  against  the  current,  which  was  a  very  stiff  one.  Morris  came  far 
short  of  being  as  good  a  man  as  Hanlan  that  day,  but  the  course  was  very  much 
in  his  favor.  Of  course  any  novice  might  row  down  to  the  turning  buoys  with 
the  current  easily  enough,  but  it  took  a  pilot  to  creep  along  close  to  the  bank 
and  take  advantage  of  all  the  little  inshore  eddies  on  the  way  back  to  the  start- 
ing flags.  Hanlan  had  the  race  won,  however,  beZore  the  turn  was  made,  for, 
contrary  to  the  exi)ectations  of  the  Hanlan  party,  Morris  made  his  grand  effort 
when  pulling  down  with  the  current,  and  he  was  dead  beaten  before  he  turned 
his  buoy.  He  struggled  on  gamely  to  the  finish,  and  made  such  a  terrible  effort 
to  retrieve  his  fortunes  that  it  is  very  doubtful  if  he  has  ever  been  the  same  man 
since. 

Hanlan  did  not  rest  long  after  his  championship  victory.  On  July  1st,  18/8, 
he  won  the  first  honors  at  Brockville,  beating  Plaisted,  Biley,  Ten  Eyck,  Pat 
Luther,  John  A.  Kennedy,  McKen,  and  Elliott,  in  a  race  of  four  miles  with  a 
turn. 

On  the  Fourth  of  July  following  he  beat  nearly  the  same  lot  of  scullers  in  a 
regatta  at  Cape  Vincent.  In  both  these  regattas  Hanlan  had  it  all  his  own  way 
from  start  to  finish. 

Without  returning  to  Toronto  after  winning  first  money  in  the  two  regattas 
just  mentioned,  Hanlan  crossed  over  from  Gape  Tincent  to  Kingston,  and  thence 
made  his  way  eastward  to  St.  John,  N.  B.,  where  he  was  matched  against  his  old 
rival,  Wallace  Boss.  The  race  was  to  take  place  on  the  Kennebeoasis,  some 
seven  miles  above  the  city,  and  Hanlan  was  soon  quartered  close  to  the  water 
side  in  the  cosy  and  comfortable  old  Claremont  House,  Torryburn,  the  very 
house  in  which  the  great  Benforth  breathed  his  last. 

Here  Hanlan  had  just  the  climate,  food  and  accommodation  that  appeared 


\s 


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TBE  LIFE  OF  EDWARD   HANLAN. 


U 


to  suit  him  b«8t.  He  had  plenty  of  time  to  put  himself  in  perfect  trim,  as  (not^ 
Ttrithstanding  the  two  regattas  in  which  he  had  rowed)  he  had  been  enioyirg  an 
almost  entire  "let  up"  since  the  race  for  the  Championship.  It  was  while  he 
was  at  the  Olaremont  House  that  the  Canadian  champion  could  do  almost  any 
amotmt  of  work,  eat  incredible  qtiantities  of  the  very  best  food,  enjoy  absolutely 
perfect  digestion  and  sleep  sound,  dreamless  sleeps.  Here,  when  "pointed"  for 
the  race,  he  was  as  "hard  as  nails,"  though  he  weighed  somewhere  about  154  or 
155  lbs.,  while  at  Pittsburg  he  only  scaled  148  lbs.  when  in  rowing  trim.  Though 
no  pains  were  taken  to  time  Hanian  during  his  stay  on  the  Kennebeccasis,  his 
friends  accidentally  learned  enough  of  what  he  could  do  to  make  them  think 
from  that  time  forward  that  when  right  and  fit  he  could  row  down  any  man  that 
ever  lived. 

After  numerous  postponements  on  account  of  rough  water,  the  race  finally 
came  off  on  July  Slst,  1878.  The  distance  was  five  miles  witu  a  turn,  for  $2,000. 
At  the  start  Wallace  Boss  went  away  with  the  lead,  but  held  it  for  barely  a 
quarter  of  a  mile.  They  both  went  a  tremendous  clip,  however,  but  when  they 
had  gone  a  little  over  a  mile,  and  when  Hanian  was  leadingby  fully  two  lengths^ 
Boss  rolled  out  of  his  boat,  and  it  only  remained  for  Hanian  to  paddle  over  th« 
course  and  claim  the  money. 

Hanian 's  next  api^earance  was  at  the  Barrie  regatta,  August  12, 1878,  wher* 
he  won  first  money,  Wallace  Boss  coming  second,  and  Hosmer  third.  The  other 
contestants  were  Evan  Morris,  Harry  Coulter,  Pat  Luther,  Fred.  Plaisted,  Wm. 
McEen,  Alex.  Elliott,  and  Edward  Boss. 

Hanian  was  then  matched  to  row  five  miles  against  Charles  Courtney,  of 
Union  Springs,  N.  Y.,  for  $2,000.  ''Considerable  interest  was  manifested  in  this 
contest,  as  Courtney  had  won  numerous  races,  and  was  credited  with  rowing 
three  miles  in  the  unprecedented  time  of  20  m.  14 1-2  s.  The  race  was  rowed  at 
Lachine,  Canada,  on  October  3d,  1878.  Thousands  of  sporting  men  from  all 
parts  of  the  United  States  and  Canada  assembled  to  witness  what  they  antici- 
pated would  be  a  close  and  exciting  struggle.  Large  sums  were  wagered  on  the 
race.  The  betting,  which  was  at  first  in  favor  of  Courtney,  all  of  a  sudden 
changed  to  $100  to  $60  on  Hanian.  The  race,  as  far  as  a  contest  was  concerned, 
was  a  faree.  Courtney  rowed  at  a  lively  pace  for  two  miles  and  a  half,  and  then 
he  was  no  company  for  Hanian,  who  won  as  he  pleased.  After  the  it»ne,  there 
V7<>re  numerous  rumors  that  the  race  was  a  fixed  up  affair,  but  the  fruth  of  the 
matb«^^  Is,  Courtney  was  outrowed  a.nd  fairly  beaten. 

After  Hanian  had  defeated  the  great  overated  Courtney,  there  was  no  (>ar8- 
man  in  the  United  States  eager  to  meet  the  invincible  Champion,  and  Hanian, 
like  Alexander,  looked  for  new  worlds  to  conquei . 

A  noted  sporting  man  of  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  England,  was  authorized  to 
match  Hanian  against  John  Hawdon,  of  Deleval,  England,  who  was  at  the  time 
looked  upon  as  the  coming  champion  oarsman  of  England.  The  match  was 
made  for  £400,  both  oarsman  agreeing  to  row  over  the  Tyne  Championship 
Course. 


m4 


JOHN   HAWDON'S  HISTORY. 

This  noted  oarsman  was  born  in  1852,  is  five  feet  seven  inches  in  height,  and 
weighs,  in  condition,  150  lbs..  He  commenced  his  career  as  a  sculler  at  the  Tyne 
regatta  in  1876,  when  he  won  the  prize  for  scullers  under  twenty-one  years  of 
age.  In  that  year  he  defeated  H.  Atkinson  and  Balph  Forster.  He  was  taken  in 
hand  in  1877  by  James  Percy,  under  whose  care  he  was  carefully  trained.  Ht 
competed  at  the  Thames  International  Begatta  in  1877,  in  the  junior  scullers' 
competition,  and  in  the  final  heat  was  beaten  by  J.  Anderson,  of  Hammersmith. 
He  also  competed  in  the  open  scullers'  handicap  at  the  same  regatta,  and  suo- 
oeeded  in  winning  the  first  prize.    He  remained  quiet  until  March,  1878,  when  he 


n'M^f  >»  ai«lii-.fl»l>1  -..i- 


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19 


THE  LIFE  OF  EDWARD    mLNLAN. 


rowed  J.  B.  Hymes,  of  Stockton,  over  a  two  mile  oourse  on  the  .^  Uniaes,  and  de- 
feated  him ;  and  three  weeks  later  the  pair  met  again  oa  the  Tyne.  when  Haw- 
don  was  ai^dn  the  viotor. 

In  April  he  had  an  easy  viotory  on  the  Tyne  over  Robert  Bagnall,  who  at 
one  time  was  thought  good  enongh  to  be  matched  for  ohami  .onship  honors. 
He  took  part  in  the  Thames  International  Begatta,  when  he  won  the  second- 
class  sculls.  A  match  was  now  made  between  him  and  Joseph  Sadler,  ez-cham- 
pion,  who  was  not  satisfied  even  to  quit  even  after  Harry  Kelly  warned  him. 
The  race  took  place  September  14th,  1878,  for  £200,  but  the  ex-champion  was  out 
of  all  form,  a  mere  shadow  of  his  former  self,  and  the  north  countryman  won  all 
the  way.    Oomment,  therefore,  is  unnecessary. 

By  this  easy  victory  the  wioaer's  race  with  Joseph  Oannon,  of  Kingston,  on 
October  1st,  did  not  look  such  u  rosy  affair  as  it  was  considered  in  some  quarters, 
and  the  parties  who  had  Cannon  in  hand  lost  no  opportunity  in  training  up  their 
man.  The  race  was  an  event  of  considerable  importance,  and  the  greatest  in- 
terest was  manifested  by  the  "talent,"  who  were  on  the  qui  vive  as  to  the  real 
ability  of  the  north  countryman,  he  never  having  been  extended  in  any  of  his 
previous  matches.  From  the  excellent  form  shown  by  Cannon  in  his  latest  races, 
it  was  considered  that  Cannon  would  surely  make  Hawdon  "spin,"  and  many 
were  of  opinion  that  he  would  win,  especially  when  it  was  noticed,  on  Hawdon 's 
maldng  his  appearance  at  the  Aqueduct,  that  he  looked  rather  stale.  In  conse- 
quence, 70  to  40  was  readily  taken,  but  the  men  had  not  long  started  on  their 
journey  before  20,  and  thee  30  to  1  was  offered  upon  Hawdon,  who  won  with  the 
greatest  ease  in  the  excellent  time  of  a2m.  57s.— a  performance  which  at  once 
carried  him  Into  the  front  ^nk. 

After  Hawdon 's  easy  victory  over  Sadler  and  Cannon,  it  was  only  natural  that 
he  should  become  a  great  favorite  when  matched  againet  William  Lumsden, 
whom  it  was  supposed  had  lost  a  great  deal  of  the  form  he  at  one  time  possessed. 
As  the  afEoir  had  been  decided  upon  before  Hawdon  had  so  decisively  proved  his 
title  to  a  place  in  the  front  rank,  it  was  now  looked  upon  as  a  bad  match  for 
Lumsden ;  nevertheless,  every  means  was  adopted  to  bring  him  to  the  post  in 
good  condition,  and,  perhaps,  he  was  never  seen  to  better  advantage.  They  had 
to  row  on  the  Tyne,  for  £100  a  side,  from  the  High  Level  to  Scotswood  Suspension 
Bridge,  November  11th,  the  race  creating  a  great  amount  of  excitement  in  New- 
castle and  in  the  vast  mining  districts  adjacent  thereto ;  but  as  it  had  been  re- 
ported that  Lumsden  had  failed  when  an  important  question  was  asked,  betting 
on  the  event  came  almost  to  a  standstill.  On  board  the  accompanying  steam- 
boats, just  before  the  start,  however,  some  speculation  took  place,  but  not  before 
8  to  1  was  offered  on  Hawdon,  and  then  it  was  only  of  a  limited  character.  To 
the  surprise  of  most  people  who  saw  the  race,  Lumsden  made  a  far  better  fight 
than  had  been  expected,  and  headed  nis  opponent  right  up  to  the  Elswick  Col- 
liery Staithes,  nearly  two  miles,  a  most  desperate  race  having  taken  place  from 
the  st&rt.  The  water  had  been  very  rough  for  Hawdon,  who  had  the  outside 
berth,  but  he  was  in  no  way  deterred,  and,  as  soon  as  the  chances  became  equal- 
ized, he  showed  a  decided  superiority,  and  went  clean  away.  A  foul  occurred, 
which  Lumsden  claimed,  but  was  disallowed,  and  the  Blyth  man  acknowledged 
that  he  had  been  beaten  by  a  better  man. 


\s 


At  the  time  the  match  was  arranged^  English  boating  men  both  on  the 
Thames  and  Tyne  generally  laughed  at  Hanlan's  ambition  in  crossing  the  At- 
lantic to  row  Hawdon.  And  from  the  time  the  match  was  made  the  boating  men 
backed  Hawdon  heavily,  being  confident  that  he  would  defeat  Hanlan.  English 
boating  men  little  knew  that  Hawdon  was  only  selected  by  Hanlan's  backers  as 
a  test  before  he  met  the  best  man  in  England.  After  the  Canadian  began  to 
train  on  the  Tyne  every  possible  means  were  taken  by  his  backers  to  keep  the 


IBS   LIFE  OF  EDWABD   HANLAK. 


11 


\\ 


xl    » 


Oh»mplon'B  adTantages,  rig  and  form  from  Hawdon,  but  in  spite  of  their  •ftorli 
Hawdon's  friends  beoame  afraid  of  Ha  ilan's  rig  and  refused  to  bet  any  amount 
unless  the  Hanlan  party  would  give  good  odds. 

The  raoe  was  rowed  on  the  Tyne,  from  the  Mansion  House  to  Sootswood  Bus* 
pension  Bridge,  on  May  8, 1880.  Betting  was  seven  to  four  on  Hanlan,  and  was 
pretty  freely  accepted  early  in  the  evening,  but  later  fifty  to  twenty-flve  was 
freely  laid.  An  excellent  start  was  obtained,  but  the  Toronto,  bearing  Hanlan, 
soon  forged  ahead  In  spite  of  Hawdon's  despercte  rowing.  Hanlan,  with  bb 
long  sweep,  away  over  his  toes,  soon  gained  more  and  more  on  Hawdon,  with  his 
exhausting  thirty-eight  to  forty-two  strolce,  with  quick  recovery,  but  without 
much  forward  reach.  When  Slcinnersbum  wan  reached  Hanlan  was  two  lengths 
ahead.  Hawdon  /ras  rowing  with  wonderful  energy  at  thirty-eight  strokes  to 
the  minute.  As  the  two  men  sped  on  towards  Bedheugh  bridge  Hawdon  had  the 
misfortune  to  deviate  considerably  from  his  correct  course.  Meanvhile  Hanlan 
was  pulling  steadily  and  looking  around  to  see  that  there  was  no  danger  of  his 
running  into  any  craft  that  might  be  ahead  of  him.  He  looked  composed  and 
sure  of  victory.  Meanwhile  the  wind,  which  was  blowing  down  stream,  was 
increasing  in  force  and  the  water  becoming  rougher  and  rougher.  In  spite  of 
this  disadvantage,  Hanlan  steadily  increased  his  lead,  till  it  had  grown  to  three 
lengths.  From  this  point  it  was  evident  that  he  had  the  race  well  in  hand.  He 
now  slowed  his  stroke  from  thirty-two  to  thirty.  Hawdon,  who  was  beginning  to 
show  signs  of  exhaustion,  also  moderated  his  strokes  from  thirty -eight  to  thirty* 
two.  Hawdon  was  again  guilty  of  bad  steering.  Hanlan  was  watching  him  as  a 
cat  does  a  mouse,  and  playing  with  the  Tyne  oarsman.  It  was  evident  now  that 
Hawdon  had  no  chance.  The  betting  was  100  to  1  on  Hanlan,  barring  accidents. 
The  champion's  boat  flew  through  the  water,  he  keeping  well  in  the  middle  of 
the  stream.  The  water  was  meanwhile  breaking  over  Hanlan's  boat,  and  as  he 
stopped  to  bail  out  the  water  he  nodded  and  laughed  to  the  spectators,  whc  were 
running  alongside  the  river's  edge.  The  spectators  shouted  themselves  hoarse. 
This  scene  occurred  when  the  meadows  were  reached.  Great  laughter  and  fun 
followed.  Poor  Hawdon  was  manfully  struggling  along,  but  he  was  in  a  piteous 
plight,  thoroughly  exhausted.  When  Orane's  was  reached  Hanlan  led  by  two 
boats'  lengths,  apparently  reducing  his  lead  for  the  fun  of  the  thing,  for  he  saw 
that  Hawdon  w{i.s  badly  out-rowed.  Hanlan  soon  after  put  on  a  spurt,  and,  as  he 
approached  the  jfr^l,  was  rowing  at  26  to  28.  At  Benwell's  boat-house  sianlan 
enjoyed  some  mo.d  laughter,  and  nodded  pleasantly  to  those  on  shore.  "Hur- 
rah! Hurrah!"  was  the  deafening  cry  which  was  heard  at  this  time.  Hanlan 
bowed  and  smiled.  When  Scotswood  bridge  was  reached  Hanlan  was  four 
lengths  ahead,  wlnT^ing  by  this  distance.  Cheer  after  cheer  rent  the  air  as  he 
was  proclaimed  winner.  The  correct  time  of  the  winner  is  22  minutss  6  seconds. 
Hanlan  could  have  l)eaten  Hawdon  half  a  mile  if  he  had  wanted  to  do  so. 

While  Hanlan  was  training  to  row  Hawdon,  Mr.  Benwick  published  a  ohaU 
lenge  offering  to  match  an  unknown  to  row  William  Elliott,  the  English  oham* 
pion  of  Great  Britain,  for  £200,  and  agreed  to  be  present  at  the  Beehive,  New- 
castle, at  an  appointed  time  to  arrauge  the  match.  Both  parties  met  at  Chris 
Barrass'  Beehive  Inn,  Newcastle.  Joseph  J.  Walton,  sporting  editor  of  the 
Newcastle  Chronicle,  was  voted  to  the  chair,  on  taking  which  he  addressed  the 
meeting  at  length,  saying  he  considered  the  most  judicious  and  straightforward 
way  of  getting  to  business  was  for  Mr  Benwick  to  name  his  man  at  once.  A  dis* 
oussion  ensued,  the  result  of  which  was  that  Mr  Benwick  said  he  would  bind 
himself  to  limit  his  choice  of  a  sculler  to  Bobert  Watson  Boyd  of  Gateshead  or 
Edward  Hanlan  of  Toronto.    Preliminary  articles  were  then  and  there  signed. 

At  the  second  meeting.  May  6,  at  Brownlee's  Oxford  Back  Bar,  Clothmarket, 
Newcastle,  Mr.  Whitefoot  of  the  Sportsman  presided,  and  among  the  company 
were  Colonel  Shaw,  Mr.  J.  Davis,  Mr.  C.  J.  Starling,  and  Mr.  Samuel  Wallace, 
who  represented  Hanlan.    There  were  also  present  W.  Elliott,  champion ;  James 


TBJS    UFE   OF  EDWARD    HANLAJT, 


Tvflor,  Mr.  Blohard  Thompson,  Mr.  Chris.  Barrass,  Mr.  S.  Brownlee,  Mr.  Bioh- 
•rd  Benwlok,  Mr.  George  Peel,  Wallace  Boss,  F.  A.  Plaisted,  Mr.  Jonathan 
Oooke.  Mr.  Benwiok  named  Edward  Hanlan  as  the  unknown  to  row  Elliott. 
After  much  discussion  about  a  match  between  Hanlan  and  Wallace  Boss,  which 
finally  ended  in  all  parties  agreeing  that  a  race  between  the  two  provincials 
ought  more  properly  to  be  rowed  in  America,  and  in  Mr.  E.  Sterling,  one  of 
Huilan's  backers,  offering  to- stake  $6000  to  $4000  for  a  race  between  the  two  on 
Toronto  Bay  after  their  return  to  America,  the 

ABTIOLSS  of  AOBnCMEKT. 

The  dhkughting  of  the  articles  supplementary  to  those  already  in  existence, 
which  had  been  Interrupted,  was  then  proceeded  with,  and  without  the  slightest 
•ambiance  of  dispute  the  following  code  was  agreed  to,  Colonel  Shaw  intimating 
that  if  the  state  of  the  weather  should  render  compulsory  an  adjournment  from 
the  day  originally  fixed  he  would  pay  all  expenses : 

Newcastle,  May  6,  1879. 

Articles  of  agreement  entered  into  this  day  between  Edward  Hanlan  of 
Toronto,  Canada,  and  William  Elliott,  of  Blyth,  to  row  a  straightaway,  scul- 
lers' race  over  the  Tyne  championship  course  from  the  High  Level  bridge  to 
Sootswood  suspension  bridge,  in  best-and-best  boats,  for  the  sum  ef  £200  a  side 
and  the  championship  of  England,  together  with  the  challenge  cup  presented 
for  competition  by  the  proprietors  of  the  Sportuman  newspaper.  The  match 
shall  be  rowed  on  June  16, 1870,  one  hour  and  a  half  before  high  water  on  the 
afternoon  tide,  according  to  the  A.  B.  C.  tide-table.  The  scullers  shall  start  from 
two  boats  moored  twenty-five  yards  apart,  the  said  boats  to  be  moored  to  the 
eatisfbotion  of  the  referee  before  the  toss  for  choice  for  stations  takes  place. 
The  race  shall  be  rowed  under  the  provisions  of  the  rules  laid  down  for  the  com- 
petitions for  the  Sportsman  challenge  cup,  and  according  to  such  of  the  new 
Thames  rules  of  boat-racing  as  are  applicable.  The  scullers  shall  start  by  mutual 
oonsent,  but  if  they  do  not  start  within  fifteen  minutes  of  the  time  above  fixed 
the  referee  shall  start  them  by  sigual  or  otherwise.  The  first  deposit  of  £100  a 
side  is  now  down  in  the  hands  of  the  sporting  editor  of  the  Newcastle  Chronicle, 
who  is  hereby  named  final  stakeholder  in  this  match.  The  second  and  final 
deposit  of  £100  a  side  shall  be  made  good  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Chri8toi>her 
Barrass,  Beehive  Hotel,  Newcastle,  between  the  hours  of  7  and  9  p.m.  on 
Friday,  June  13, 1879.  The  referee  shall  be  chosen  at  the  final  deposit,  but  if  the 
authorized  parties  cannot  agree  upon  a  referee,  the  representatives  of  the  stake- 
holder and  of  the  Sportsman  shall  toss  for  power  of  nominating  one. 

The  referee  shall  have  entire  jurisdiction  over  the  race  from  the  start  to 
finish,  and  his  decision  shall  be  final,  and  subject  to  no  appeal  at  law  or  other- 
wise. The  referee  shall  have  power  to  postpone  the  match  from  day  to  day, 
shoi'ld  he  consider  that  the  state  of  the  wind  and  water  will  not  permit  the  race 
to  be  rowed  with  fairness  and  safety  to  both  parties. 

Cutters  are  to  be  allowed  in  attendance  upon  the  scullers.  Either  of  the  par- 
ties to  these  articles  failing  to  comply  with  the  conditions  herein  contained,  or 
any  of  them,  shall  forfeit  the  whole  of  the  money  deposited. 

(Signed) 

BlOHARD  BeNWICK. 

William  Elliott. 
Witness  to  the  signatures,  Joseph  James  Walton. 

At  the  dose  of  the  meeting,  £500  to  £400,  £1000  to  £800,  and  various  other 
stuns  were  offered  on  Hanlan,  who  was  a  strong  favorite.  Bets  on  him  were 
made  at  £60  to  £40  and  £5  to  £20.  During  the  meeting,  Christopher  Barrass 
offered  to  back  Bobert  Boyd  to  row  Boss  on  the  Tyne  for  from  £100  to  £500  a  side. 
Boss  declined  this  challenge.    Hanlan,  after  a  tour  through  Scotland,  returnecf 


it 


M 


THE   LIFE  or  EDWAHT)    HANLAE. 


15 


to  his  old  training  quarters,  and  went  through  a  regular  routine  of  training  for 
the  rat!e.  The  final  deposit  was  made  In  aooordanoe  with  the  articles  of  agre«* 
ment,  and  the  final  arrangements  mode. 


THE  TYNE  COUR8E.-THREE  MILES  AND  760  YARDS  IN  LENOTH-ITB 
FAULTS  AND  THE  DANGEBS  OF  FOULINO. 

The  course,  measured  In  the  centre  of  the  channel,  Is  3  miles  and  760  yards, 
but  by  keeping  well  to  the  north  shore,  this  may  be  reduced  about  80  or  40 
yards.  The  start  was  from  the  Mansion  House,  160  yards  above  the  High  Level 
bridge,  leaving  the  distance  to  be  covered  3  miles  and  S70  yards.  The  course  Is 
comparatively  straight.  The  river  Inclines  southward  from  the  High  Level 
bridge,  and  Just  above  Low  Elswiok— one  and  three-quarter  miles  from  the  bridge 
—it  curves  gradually,  and  takes  a  slightly  northward  direction.  The  great 
blemishes  of  the  course  are  the  ^ong  gangways  of  the  Tyne  Oeneral  Ferry  Com- 
pany,  which  run  far  out  into  the  river,  and  to  avoid  which  and  the  steamboat 
landing  stages  scullers  have  to  veer  out  from  the  north  shore  into  mld*ohannel. 
Such  manoeuvres  being  rendered  necessary  imminent  risk  of  fouling  are  ruu. 
The  man  having  the  outside  station  naturally  keeps  as  close  as  he  can  to  the 
north  shore,  without  venturing  into  his  opponent's  water,  with  the  object  of 
shortening  his  Journey,  and  can  scarcely  be  expected  to  be  able  always  to  divine 
when  his  antagonist  may  choose  to  begin  pulling  out  so  as  to  row  clear  of  the 
gangways. 

Many  fouls  have  occurred  at  these  spots,  and  on  various  occasions  the  umpire 
has  had  the  greatest  difficulty  in  deciding  which  to  blame,  lu  other  respects  the 
Tyne  course  possesses  many  merits.  However,  it  is  more  exposed  than  the 
Thames,  and  a  comparatively  slight  wind  from  certain  quarters  renders  It  very 
choppy.  At  the  High  Level  bridge  the  width  of  the  channel  is  about  600  feet. 
Then  It  begins  gradually  to  widen  till  Grindstone  quay  is  reached,  then  gradu- 
ally  contracts,  and  off  Cooper's  stairs  is  very  little  wider  than  at  the  High  Level 
bridge.  From  this  point  the  channel  expands  very  considerably,  until  at  Low 
Elswick  it  is  nearly  1,200  feet  across.  Two  and  a  half  furlongs  further  on  the 
bottom  of  a  long,  narrow  island,  precisely  in  mid-river,  is  reached.  This  obstruc- 
tion, known  as  King's  Meadows,  is  three-quarters  of  a  mile  In  length,  and  on 
either  side  the  channel  is  rather  less  than  IWO  feet  wide  at  the  narrowest  part. 
From  the  top  of  the  King's  Meadows  the  breadth  of  the  channel  is  about  700  feet. 
This  is  a  capital  stretch  of  water,  though  the  banks  on  either  side,  being  remark- 
ably low  and  bare,  afford  no  protection  whatever  from  the  wind.  From  the  High 
Level  bridge  the  scullers  have  a  nearly  straight  run  of  five  furlongs  to  the  lead 
works. 

Then  comes  a  bend  in  the  river,  which  is  rendered  all  the  more  difficult  to 
pass  without  accidental  collisions  in  consequence  of  a  contrivance  known  as  the 
coal  staith  putting  out  a  long  way  from  the  shore.  For  three  furlongs  the  scull- 
ers have  to  manipulate  the  curve,  taking  care  to  avoid  the  extremely  awkward 
Dunn  street  gangway,  and  if  they  succeeded  In  reaching  Mile  point  without  a 
mishap,  the  worst  of  their  perils  are  over.  They  then  enter  upon  a  capital  reach 
of  water  extending  right  up  to  the  foot  of  King's  Meadows.  Sir  William  Arm- 
strong's hydraulic  crane  marks  the  mile  and  a  half  stage  of  the  journey,  and  the 
great  crane,  or,  as  it  is  now  called,  the  platform,  the  two-mile  limit.  The  head 
of  King's  Meadows  Is  two  miles  and  350  yailSs  from  the  starting  point,  but  the 
best  landmark  for  reckoning  is  the  crane  at  the  east  end  of  Paradise  quay,  pre- 
cisely two  miles  and  a  half  from  the  High  Level  bridge.  Benwall  ferry  is  SOS 
yards  higher  up  the  river,  and  thence  the  scullers  coapt  along  Bcotswood  Haughs 
right  to  the  Suspension  bridge  and  the  end  of  the  course. 


,'!!♦,•.  j-tr-imim.^Uy..^-  t,.ft.t'vmm\- 


U 


THE  LIFE  OF  SDWARD   HANLAN. 


WILLIAM    ELLIOTT'S    BOWING   CAREER   8IN0E    1876. 

WUllftm  Elliott  was  born  at  Hay  Farm,  Morthomberland,  NoTember  28, 1849. 
Be  stands  five  feet  seven  and  one>half  Inches  in  height ;  untrained  he  weighs 
176  pounds ;  trained,  167  pounds.  He  began  his  rowing  oar  -  in  1876,  when  he 
defei^ted  William  Martin,  of  Blyth,  and  afterwards  J.  Hoganii,  the  ohampion  of 
the  Wear.  His  third  raoe  was  with  J.  Finnegan,  who  defeated  him  after  a  des- 
perate raoe.  In  August,  187S,  he  entered  the  Manohester  and  Sanford  regatta. 
He  rowed  in  the  handicap  single-scull  race  and  won  the  first  heat,  defeating 
Oobbett,  to  whom  he  conceded  five  and  a  half  lengths ;  but  in  the  second  series 
J.  Anderson,  of  Hammersmith,  beat  him  easily.  In  the  final  Nicholson  and 
Smith  ("Biscuits")  came  together,  and  the  former  was  the  winner.  In  March, 
1877,  Elliott  had  displayed  such  form  and  made  such  fast  rowing  on  the  Tyne 
^  that  he  was  entered  to  compete  for  the  championship  cup  and  £200,  open  to  all 
comers.  The  race  was  rowed  on  the  Tyne,  distance  3  miles  713  yards.  Robert 
Watson  Boyd  won,  and  Elliott,  with  Nicholson  and  Lumsden,  were  defeated. 
Elliott's  first  match  of  Importance  was  against  George  Tarryer,  of  Bermondsey, 
which  he  won  easily.  Having  beaten  so  good  a  man  as  the  Thames  sculler,  who 
la  credited  with  having  rowed  from  Putney  aqueduct  to  the  Ship  at  Mortlake  in 
the  fastest  time  on  record,  his  friends  became  Jubilant,  consequently  they  soon 
oast  about  for  a  fresh  opponent,  and  on  the  Tyne  Robert  Bagnall,  of  the  Ouse- 
bum,  and  William  Nicholson  went  down  before  him. 

On  March  4th,  1878,  Elliott  again  competed  for  the  ohampion  cup  and  £iiOO 
on  the  Tyne  course,  3  miles  713  yards  straightaway,  his  opponent  being  William 
Nicholson.  Elliott  rowed  a  grand  race,  rowing  in  high  wind  and  rough  water, 
and  winning  easily.  These  successes  led  the  Newcastle  people  to  think  they 
had  another  ohampion  at  hand  ready  to  do  battle  for  the  championship,  which 
had  vanished  from  their  sight  by  the  last  defeat  of  Boyd  by  Higgins,  and  there 
is  little  doubt  at  that  time  they  really  had  got  the  best  man  in  the  north.  With 
commendable  spirit  they  issued  the  d^  to  the  ohampion,  and  they  also  made  a 
match  with  Thomas,  of  Hammersmith,  to  row  on  May  6th,  1878,  for  £200.  Hig- 
gins, who  was  then  champion  of  England,  accepted  the  challenge  to  row  Elliott, 
and  the  match  was  made.  Thus  it  w.Ul  be  seen  that  in  the  short  space  of  five 
months  Elliott  had  scarcely  been  out  of  training,  and  he  had  to  row  four 
matches.  For  this  most  recent  event  Elliott,  after  beating  Thomas,  went  home 
to  James  Taylor's,  at  Newcastle,  when  he  was  sent  to  Whitley,  journeying  to 
the  Tyne  each  day  for  his  rowing  exercise.  The  race  took  place  on  the  Thames, 
from  Putney  to  Mortlake,  June  6,  1878,  for  £200  and  the  championship.  The 
course  was  four  and  tbree-elghth  miles.  The  Tyne  boatmen  were  confident  he 
would  win,  and  £50  to  MO  was  readily  offered  by  his  backers. 

On  the  day  of  the  raoe  Elliott  looked  big,  and  did  not  take  so  well  in  the  pre- 
liminary spin  as  Higgins,  who  never  appeared  in  such  good  trim  for  a  sculling 
raoe  before,  and  the  offers  of  7  to  4  on  Elliott,  which  were  then  current,  found 
more  takers.  Elliott  gained  two  lengths  on  the  first  mile ;  then  Higgins  took  the 
lead,  and  reached  Barnes  railway  bridge  in  20  minutes  13  seconds,  Elliott  then 
being  1  minute  13  seconds  in  the  rear,  and  finally  Higgins  passed  the  judge  (Mr. 
Moore,  of  the  London  Rowing  Club)  opposite  the  ship,  a  winner  by  about  600 
yards,  his  time  for  the  whole  course  being  24  minutes  38  seconds,  nearly  two 
minutes  before  Elliott.  There  never  was  a  north  vs.  south  struggle  in  which 
more  money  was  speculated  in  Newcastle  than  on  this  occasion.  The  cola  was 
fairly  piled  on  Elliott,  until  at  one  time  as  much  as  two  to  one  was  laid  ou  the 
Blyth  sculler.  Book-makers,  howeter,  did  not  tire  of  accepting  the  jdds,  aud 
were  enabled  to  reap  a  slight  profit  through  telegraphing  to  Putney  t  be  on  at 
starting  price.  This  might  possibly  account  for  the  position  which  Elliott  occu- 
pied when  the  race  was  begun.  Immense  interest  was  manifested  in  the  struggle 
by  the  inhabitants  of  the  metropolir  of  the  north,  and  at  S  o'clock  on  Monday 


VI 


\ 


'  \ 


! 

I 


\ 


WnjJAM    ELLIOTT. 


n 


•"■♦■■-*'V««9l. 


m.  'T^-Wy."^ 


.^j^ 


'«iwa»<WBwmwE(-iwi>viLii 


<i 


I 


TBE  LIFE  OF  EDWARD   HANLAN. 


17 


afternoon  there  could  not  hare  been  less  than  6,000  persons  assembled  in  front 
of  the  offices  of  the  Newcastle  Chronicle  to  learn  the  result.  The  most  lively  ex- 
citement prevailed  in  the  crowd,  and  as  much  as  6  to  l  was  laid  on  Elliott  by 
one  sanguine  individual.  When  the  telegram,  "Higgins  won  easily,"  was  ex- 
hibited, therefore,  the  people  were  perfectly  paralyzed,  and  for  a  long  time  they 
treated  the  thing  as  a  practical  Joke.  Elliott  was  not  satisfied  with  his  defea», 
for  he  issued  the  following  challenge .  "William  Elliott,  of  Blyth,  will  row  any 
south  country  sculler  a  match  over  the  Tyne  championship  course,  in  two 
month's  time,  for  ^eaoo  a  side."  Higgins  wanted  to  row  on  the  Thames,  and  no 
match  was  then  made. 

On  August  81st,  1878,'  Elliott  entered  the  single-scull  race  at  the  Thames  in- 
ternational regatta,  against  J.  Higgins,  and  defeated  him  easily  over  the  Thames 
championship  course ;  and,  with  Nicholson,  Boyd  and  Lumsden,  won  the  four- 
oared  championship.  After  this  race  Elliott  accepted  a  challenge  from  Higgins 
to  row  for  £200  and  the  championship,  and  the  race  took  place  on  February  17th. 
Elliott  was  victorious,  and  since  he  has  held  the  title  of  champion.  Elliott  is  a 
well-formed,  muscular  athlete,  and  the  fastest  oarsman  in  Great  Britai^,  and 
boating  men  both  on  the  Thames  and  Tyne  were  confident  he  could  butrow 
any  one. 


,r 


The  great  race  was  rowed  on  June  16th,  1879.  A  tremendous  crowd  congre- 
gated to  witness  the  contuwt,  Elliott's  cutter  was  first  seen  making  its  way  down 
towards  the  High  Lovel,  and  the  crow  disembarked  at  the  logs  in  fr  jnt  of  the 
Mansion  House,  where  Elliott  was  In  waiting.  The  ten  rowers  were :  Robert 
Bagnall  (bow),  J.  Cron<'y,  W,  Simpson,  W.  Thompson,  W.  Lakey,  T.  Sadler,  J. 
Parker,  W.  Winshlp,  W,  ArmHtrong,  and  Jos.  Gallon  (stroke),  W.  Taylor  (cox- 
swain. Hanlan's  ten-our  followed  down  on  the  Gateshead  side,  and  she  carried 
his  boat  the  "Toronto,"  the  crew  proceeding  below  the  High  Level  to  Boyd's 
boatyard,  where  the  Canadian  was  ready  to  meet  them.  His  cutter  was  manned 
as  follows :  H.  Kempster,  Wrlghtson  Poster,  R.  Humble,  J.  Farrer,  M.  Cairns,  J. 
Kempster,  Alexander  Hogarth,  W.  Wllkle,  T.  Barnes,  and  F.  A.  Plaisted,  the 
American  sculler  engaged  to  row  Nicholson  op  the  Tyne  for  £200  rowed  the  after 
oar,  and  J.  Greensitt  handled  the  rudder  lines. 

Among  the  Americans  present  were  Mr.  J.  Davis,  Windsor,  Ontario ;  Mr. 
Starling,  Belville,  Ontario ;  Mr.  John  Elliott,  Montreal ;  Mr.  J.  Duggin,  Toronto ; 
Mr.  D.  S.  Keith,  Toronto ;  Mr.  David  Walker,  Toronto ;  Mr.  M'Farren  Toronto. 
At  11 :50  Elliott  was  seen  on  the  Mansion  House  Quay  almost  ready  tor  action, 
and  he  looked  brimful  of  confidence.  James  Percy,  Taylor,  and  Balph  Kepple- 
whlte  launched  the  fragile  "England"  upon  the  waters  as  tenderly  as  if  i\,  had 
been  a  baby,  and  the  Blyth  man  was  not  long  In  getting  afloat.  His  adversary, 
however,  did  not  embark  until  nearly  ten  minutes  later,  and  as  both  men  made 
their  appearance  on  the  river  they  were  repeatedly  cheered  In  the  most  enthusi- 
astic manner,  and  Hanlan  removed  his  cap  In  response,  while  a  band  on  one  of 
the  steamers  played  "Bonny  Pit  Lad,"  in  the  north  countryman's  honor.  As 
soon  as  It  was  known  that  Elliott  had  won  the  toss  for  choice  of  stations,  the 
men  proceeded  to  their  stake  boats,  but  the  commencement  of  hostilities  was  de- 
layed until  14  minutes  past  12  o'clock.  The  greatest  excitement  prevailed 
amongst  the  thousands  of  visitors  on  shore  and  afloat,  and  the  scene  was  such  as 
Is  seldon  witnessed  even  on  Tyneslde.  Elliott  selected  the  northern  or  New- 
castle station,  and  the  men  began  to  perform  their  racing  toilets,  the  English- 
man stripping  to  the  buff,  while  the  Canadian,  as  on  the  previous  occasion,  rowed 
in  a  dark  blue  sleeveless  Jersey  and  blue  drawers. 

THE  RACE. 

All  were  on  the  qui  vive  for  the  start,  and  there  was  almost  breathless  silence 
while  the  sterns  of  the  men's  boats  were  being  held,  Mr.  Ward,  of  Toronto, 
doing  duty  for  Hanlan,  and  a  friend  for  Elliott,  Jas.  Taylor  being  in  the  head  of 


,-t.*.MS*«ji*S*i«aMf 


'■M;.ivmw; 


"»«<fci(-^i*,. 


i-: 


■'  I  1 


18 


THE  LIFE  OF  EDWARD    HANLAN. 


the  latter's  cutter,  and  Bright  in  that  of  Elliott's  opponent.  Hanlan,  who  won 
the  toss  for  stations  when  he  rowed  Hawdon,  lost  on  this  occasion,  although 
there  was  little  to  choose  in  this  respect,  as  the  boats  were  well  out  in  the  centre 
of  the  tide,  which,  owing  to  the  weight  of  land  water,  was  moving  very  slowly. 

Elliott  chose  the  Newcastle  or  northern  side,  and  after  the  Tyneslder's  boat 
had  once  or  twice  drifted  away  from  his  station  they  got  off  on  pretty  even  terms. 
Hostilities  had  hardly  commenced,  however,  before  Elliott  appeared  to  be  going 
unsteadily;  he  dug  his  sculls  deeply,  and  his  style  already  bore  unfavorable  con- 
trast with  that  of  his  opponent,  who  was  rowing  in  beautiful  form,  although 
putting  his  sculls  in  at  the  rate  of  42  to  the  minute  against  40  on  the  part  of 
Elliott.  As  they  ploughed  along  at  this  terrific  rate  the  excitement  was  beyond 
all  description,  more  especially  that  for  150  yards  or  so  the  Canadian  had  not 
taken  more  than  a  lead  of  half  a  length,  and  Elliott's  thousands  of  admirers  on 
Tyneside  began  to  congratulate  themselves  that  their  man  was  not  going  to  be 
so  easily  beaten  after  all.  He,  however,  was  evidently  not  au/ait  with  the  long 
slide  and  swivel  rowlocks ;  he  splashed  very  much ;  moreover,  he  seemed 
anxiotte,  and,  passing  Wy lie's  Quay  he  looked  over  his  right  shoulder  to  see  how 
far  Hanlan  was  in  front  of  him.  Finding  that  the  latter  was  fully  a  length  in 
advance,  he  set  to  work  again  in  the  most  determined  manner,  but  it  was  of  no 
avail,  for  Hanlan,  still  rowing  at  40  strokes  to  the  minute,  and  Elliott  at  the 
same  rate,  was  still  increasing  his  lead.  At  the  Skinner  Burn  there  was  nearly  a 
length  of  daylight  between  the  boats,  but  from  that  point  to  the  Bedheugh 
Bridge  Hanlan  was  unable  to  increase  the  distance,  owing,  probably,  to  his 
deviation  from  the  course  slightly,  and  that  Elliott  was  working  his  sculls  more 
evenly  than  when  he  started.  The  bridge  was  reached  in  2m.  35s.,  and  both 
scullers  kept  well  out  in  mid-stream,  neither  relaxing  the  slightest  in  his  efforts. 
Presently  it  could  be  seen  that  Hanlan  had  the  race  in  hand,  for  he  was  evi- 
dently not  rowing  at  his  fastest  pace,  and  still  improving  his  position.  Between 
the  Lead  Works  and  Cooper's  stairs  Elliott  once  got  very  deep  with  his  left-hand 
scull,  and  his  boat  was  almost  brought  to  a  standstill,  which  enabled  Hanlan  to 
get  further  away,  and  at  Hall's  Quay  corner  he  was  four  lengths  in  advance. 
The  American  Ciiampion  was  now  rowing  with  comparative  ease,  and  occasion- 
ally he  looked  over  his  shoulder  to  see  if  all  was  clear.  As  they  approached  the 
Dunn  street  gangway  Elliott  improved  very  much  in  style,  and  he  came  up  a 
little,  the  cheers  upon  the  water  and  on  land  being  of  the  most  deafening  kind. 
The  mile,  less  150  yards,  was  reached  in  6  minutes  11 1-2  seconds  from  the  time 
of  starting,  which  is  considered  to  be  exceedingly  fast,  and  although  Hanlan 
was  beginning  to  show  his  usual  indifference,  Elliott  strained  every  nerve  to 
alter  the  aspect  of  affairs,  the  race  proceeding  in  this  way  to  the  High  Sheer 
Legs  at  Armstrong's  Works,  where  Hanlan  led  by  three  lengfths,  rowing  32 
strokes  to  the  minute  against  Elliott's  37.  Half  way  up  the  meadows,  where 
there  were  immense  crowds  on  either  side  of  the  river,  Hanlan  took  Elliott's 
water,  and  then  rowed  on  in  front  of  him,  both  in  midstream,  but  from  here  to 
the  two  mile  post  the  leader  improved  his  position,  being  as  nearly  as  possible 
five  lengths  in  advance.  The  time  was  12m.  Ss.  for  the  distance,  less  150  yards, 
and,  as  they  were  rowing  on  to  the  Paradise  Quay,  Elliott  went  across  into  Han- 
lan's  water,  but  the  umpire's  boat,  which  had  been  a  very  long  way  astern  all  the 
time,  was  now  shut  out  from  a  view  of  the  race  by  some  of  the  steamboats,  and 
it  became  impossible  to  see  by  how  far  Hanlan  was  leading.  It  v/as  evident, 
however,  that,  bar  accident,  all  was  over,  for  Hanlan  seemed  to  be  doing  just  as 
he  pleased ;  sometimes  he  appeared  to  be  half  a  dozen  lengths  in  front,  then 
only  half  that  distance,  but  he  must  have  considerably  increased  his  lead  after 
passing  the  ferry  above  Paradise,  for  the  judge,  Mr.  Swaddle,  stated  that  he  had 
.won  the  race  by  11  lengths.  Time  21m.  Is.,  just  one  minute  faster  than  when 
Elliott  beat  Higgins. 

Hanlan,  after  his  victory,  was  pronounced  a  wonder,  and  the  English  press 


" 


k      > 


THE   LIFE   OF  EDWARD    BANLAK 


19 


^  ■  ' 


acknowledged  him  to  be  the  most  speedy  and  finished  oarsman  thatwaseverseen 
on  the  Thames  or  Tyne.  Hanlan  returned  to  America.  He  received  a  grand  re- 
ception in  New  Yorlc,  and  Toronto,  his  home,  received  him  with  oi^en  arms.  Of 
course  Hanlan  was  received  by  hi&  fellow-citizens  and  countrymen  in  the 
warmest  manner  when  he  came  home,  after  teaching  the  Englishmen  that 
"Champion  of  Canada"  was  a  prouder  title  than  "Champion  of  England." 

Hanlan  was  doomed  to  meet  with  something  very  like  a  reverse  aoon  after 
his  return  to  his  native  city.  On  the  18th  of  August  he  was  foolish  enough  to 
start  in  the  professional  race  at  the  Barrie  Eegatta,  though  he  knew  very  well 
that  he  was  far  from  being  in  condition  for  ::;ny«-hiTig  like  a  hard  contest.  His 
trip  to  England  had  certainly  done  him  no  good,  and  he  did  not  improve  after 
his  return  to  Canada  as  he  ought  to  have  done.  He  was  not  high  in  flesh  and 
out  of  condition  in  that  respect,  but  on  the  other  hand  he  was  thin  and  light 
enough  for  a  hard  race,  but  at  the  same  time  comparatively  soft  aud  flabby. 
Indeed,  at  this  time  it  was  feared  by  many  of  his  friends  that  the  Champion 
was  breaking  up  altogether,  and  that,  young  as  he  was,  he  was  already  passing 
into  physical  decadence.  Their  great  r.nxiety  was  to  induce  hLn  to  put  on  flesh 
again  with  the  same  surprising  rapidity  that  had  been  his  wont  in  1878,  but  it 
seemed  as  though  this  could  not  be  done.  For  a  time  he  had  almost  quit  row- 
ing, and  devoted  himself  as  nearly  as  possible  to  absolute  rest,  and  it  was  during 
this  time  that  he  suddenly  made  up  his  mind  to  start  at  the  Barrie  Begatta. 

In  the  race  there  were  numerous  starters,  but  the  dangerous  men  were  James 
H,  Biley  and  John  O.  Kennedy.  Hanlan  was  placed  near  the  outside  of  the 
course  and  Biley  more  in  shore.  Now  it  happened  that  the  scow  which  consti- 
tuted the  judges'  stand  at  the  start  and  finish,  had  dragged  anchor  somewhat  the 
night  before  the  race,  and  as  the  starting  line  was  an  imaginary  one  drawn  from 
a  flag  on  this  scow  to  one  on  a  corner  of  one  of  the  piers  inshore,  the  course 
drawn  by  Hanlan  must  have  been  a  length  or  more  longer  than  Biley's,  while 
the  score  for  start  and  finish  was  not  at  right  angles  to  the  course  as  it  was  sup- 
posed to  be. 

When  the  word  was  given  Hanlan  struck  off  at  a  great  rate,  and  was  soon 
so  far  ahead  that  he  looked  like  a  sure  winner.  He  lost  some  time  at  the  turn, 
however,  and  as  they  were  on  their  way  home  Biley  gained  upon  him  rapidly. 
While  they  were  yet  some  distance  from  the  finish  Biley  secured  a  lap  on  him, 
and  then  Hanlan  struck  out  more  vigorously,  though  he  was  evidently  pretty 
tired.  As  he  neared  the  finish  Hanlan  kept  his  eye  on  the  inshore  flag,  and  he 
could  sight  this  easily  across  the  prow  of  Biley's  shell,  looking  at  right  angles 
to  the  course,  he  felt  sure  he  had  won  the  race  when  the  gun  was  fired,  but  from 
the  scow  the  judges  saw  the  finish  differently  and  declared  it  a  dead  heat.  Han- 
lan declined  to  row  the  race  off  the  next  day,  and  first  monej'^  was  accordingly 
awarded  to  Biley. 

Hanlan 's  next  appearance  in  public  was  at  Chatauqua  Lake,  where  he  was 
to  row  Courtney  a  race  of  five  miles  with  turn  for  a  purse  of  $6,000.  The  circum- 
stances attending  tliis  attempt  at  a  race  did  much  to  weaken  hold  which  aquatics 
had  taken  upon  the  esteem  of  the  Canadian  people.  The  whole  truth  of  the  case 
may  never  come  out,  but  this  much  is  pretty  certain :  Courtney  was  funking  and 
did  not  want  to  start  unless  the  race  could  be  fixed  for  him  to  win.  Hanlan's 
friends  promised  that  he  would  be  allowed  to  win,  without  any  intention  of  keep- 
ing to  their  agreement.  In  other  words,  they  proposed  meeting  fraud  with  fraud, 
making  Courtney's  supporters,  and  not  Hanlan's,  the  victims.  On  the  day  be- 
fore the  race  one  of  Ward's  most  intimate  friends  made  a  play  or  pay  bet  of 
$1,000  on  Hanlan  to  $700  on  Courtney.  The  thing  was  done  very  quietly,  and  the 
man  who  backed  Courtney  was  a  total  stranger  to  the  Canadian  party.  Unfortu- 
nately for  the  "little  game"  that  was  being  ijlayed,  however,  the  stranger  was 
only  betting  $200  of  his  own  money,  the  other  $500  being  put  up  for  Courtney's 
friend  and  adviser,  J.  H.  Brister.    When  Brister  learned  the  name  of  the  gentle- 


90 


THE   LIFE   OF  EDWARD    HANLAN. 


W'  I 


it 


man  who  had  put  up  the  $1,000,  he  knew  that  he  and  the  rest  of  the  Courtney 
party  were  getting  what  ia  known  in  sporting  parlance  as  the  "double  cross.'' 
That  evening  Courtney's  boats  were  sawed,  and  very  few  ai'e  now  found  who 
doubt  that  the  sawing  was  done  with  the  knowledge  and  consent  of  both  Brlster 
and  Courtney.    This  closed  the  season  of  1879  so  far  as  Hanlan  is  concerned. 

On  the  19th  of  May,  1880,  Hanlan  defeated  Courtney  with  ridiculous  ease  on 
the  Potomac  at  Washington,  and  on  the  26th  of  the  same  month  he  defeated 
Biley  over  the  same  course,  without  ever  be^ng  compelled  to  exert  himself.    A 
tew  weeks  later  Hanlan  rowed  In  the  regatta  at  Providence,  E.  I.,  June,  1880." 
The  distance  was  four  miles  with  a  turn.    The  following  started : 

Wallace  Ross,  St.  John,  N.  B. ;  Geo.  W.  Lee,  Newark,  N.  J. ;  James  H.  Riley, 
Saratoga,  N.  Y. ;  Horatio  Delano,  Chelsea,  Mass. ;  James  A.  Ten  Eyck,  Peeks- 
kill,  N.  Y. ;  F.  A.  Plaisted,  Boston,  Mass. ;  Jacob  Oaudaur,  Toronto,  Can. ;  Jas. 
H.  Dempsey,  Geneva,  N.  Y. ;  R.  W.  Boyd,  Middlesbro',  Eng. ;  Edward  Hanlan, 
Toronto,  Can.  ' 

Of  those  who  had  entered  the  following  withdrew : 

John  A.  Kennedy,  Geo.  W.  Weisgerber,  Frenchy  Johnson,  and  G.  H.  Hosmer. 

Not  within  our  recollection  were  so  many  high-class  scullers  previously 
started  in  a  race,  and  the  stillness  which  fell  upon  the  vast  throng,  and  the  eager 
Intensity  of  their  gaze  as  the  men  sat  with  oars  poised  and  teet^  set  awaiting  the 
signal,  showed  how  deeply  concerned  all  were  in  the  contest  between  these  giants 
of  the  oar.  All  eyes  were  fixed  on  Hanlan  and  his  next-door  neighbor,  Boyd, 
and  when  it  was  noticed  that  the  champion  began  at  once  to  draw  away  from 
the  Englishman,  the  manifestations  of  satisfaction  were  unmistakable.  Fast  as 
Hanlan  went,  however,  Plaisted  traveled  still  faster,  jumping  away  with  the  lead, 
but  he  was  early  called  upon  to  resign  it  to  Ross,  who  was  putting  in  long,  pow- 
erful strokes,  which  proved  more  than  Fred  could  withstand,  and  he  quietly  fell 
back  to  fourth  place  as  Riley  dashed  past  after  Ross,  who  at  the  three-quarters 
was  a  little  in  advance  of  Hanlan. 

For  a  mile  and  a  half  the  race  between  Ross,  Hanlan  and  Riley  was  terrific, 
but  the  former's  vigorous  stroke  had  by  that  time  forced  him  almost  a  length 
ahead— not  much  to  gain  ordinarily  in  that  distance,  but  a  lot  for  anybody  to 
snatch  from  the  champion.  At  this  time  the  fourth  man  was  Gaudaur,  and  he 
was  followed  by  Dempsey,  Lee,  Ten  Eyck,  Plaisted,  Boyd,  and  Delano,  the  fast 
work  done  by  Plaisted  and  Boyd  at  the  start  having  tired  them  badly,  and  thus 
sent  them  to  the  rear.  About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  turn  Hanlan,  who  had 
been  rowing  in  front  of  Riley,  was  observed  to  cease  pulling  long  enough  to  lose 
several  strokes,  and  when  he  resumed  he  did  not  put  the  life  characteristic  of  him 
into  his  work,  and  Riley  managed  to  get  around  his  stake  ahead  of  the  Canadian, 
who  seemed  to  be  in  difficulties  from  some  cause.  Ross  turned  both  his  own 
buoy  and  the  one  next  to  it,  by  which  he  didn't  gain  anything,  although,  as  the 
sequel  proved,  he  didn't  need  more  than  he  already  had  to  make  his  election 
sure.  He  had  pulled  a  magnificent  race  so  far,  and  the  pace  all  the  way  very 
fast— faster  than  the  New  Brunswick  sculler  had  ever  before  carried  an  opponent 
along,  and  it  was  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  there  should  be  tired  men  In  the 
ranks.  Gaudaur  was  fourth  man  to  make  the  turn,  his  followers  being,  in  suc- 
cession, Lee,  Ten  Eyck,  Delano,  Plaisted,  and  Boyd,  the  last-named  seemingly 
distressed,  and  as  he  fouled  his  buoy  In  turning,  whereby  he  lost  valuable  time 
and  distance,  he  evidently  now  regarded  his  case  as  hopeless,  and  did  not  after- 
wards make  an  elTort  to  win  anything,  although  continuing  on  down  the  river. 
Dempsey  did  not  go  to  the  stake  at  all,  having  had  enough  of  it  before  reaching 
that  i>oint. 

The  pull  back  taxed  the  strength  and  skill  of  the  oarsmen  to  the  utmost,  as 
soon  after  rounding  the  buoys  the  wind  increased  greatly  in  force,  breaking  the 
water  up  into  good-sized  hillocks,  surmounted  with  white-caps,  and  it  was  a  diffi- 
cult matter  to  keep  one's  shell  from  swamping,  while  all  were  obliged  to  carry 


., 


iM 


*►* 


THE   LIFE   OF   EDWARD    HANLAN. 


n 


water  home  with  them.  It  was  astouishint;  to  see  the  way  in  which  Boss,  who 
had  earned  the  title  of  "champion  bmooth- water  man,"  made  his  shell  travel 
through  the  young  sea ;  but  then  he  was  the  only  man  who  had  taken  the  pre- 
caution to  flit  his  boat  with  a  wind-sail,  which,  with  that  wind  to  contend  against, 
was  a  really  necessary  article,  and  would  have  materially  helped  all  who  tried 
it.  When  about  two  and  one  quarter  miles  had  been  rowed  Hanlan  w^N 
again  seen  to  quit  rowing,  and  an  inquiry  from  those  on  the  press-boat  elicited 
a  reply  by  signal,  he  placing  his  hand  to  his  side  to  indicate  that  the  trouble  WM 
there.  He  did  not  persevere,  merely  paddling  down  to  the  boathouse,  arriving 
long  after  the  winner  had  been  made  known.  Ten  Eyck  succeeded  in  wresting 
the  third  prize  from  Gaudaur.  Time :  Ross,  29m.  54s. ;  Riley,  30m.  30  l-2a, ;  Tea 
Eyck,  30m.  588.  A  roar  of  applause  greeted  Ross  at  the  finish,  and  then  the  peo- 
ple hurried  back  to  the  city,  surprised  but  not  displeased  at  the  result  of  tbd 
race. 

Hanlan's  trouble  was  stated  to  be  a  severe  pain  in  the  side,  which  first  at- 
tacked him  in  Washington,  and  on  account  of  which  he  for  some  time  wore  a 
plaster  over  the  affected  part,  this  bringing  him  the  desired  relief,  when  ho  dli- 
pensed  with  the  plaster.  The  reason  given  for  Boyd's  failure  to  do  better  is  that 
he  was  not  in  as  good  condition  as  such  a  hard  race  required.  The  prizes  were 
presented  at  the  Coliseum,  a  mammoth  pavilion  at  Rocky  Point.  After  the  pre- 
sentation a  number  of  invited  guests  were  entertained  by  the  E.  R.  A.  at  the  hotel 
at  the  Point. 

In  the  meantime  Hanlan  had,  after  numerous  endeavors,  been  matched  to 
row  Edward  A.  Trickett,  of  Sydney,  Australia,  who  claimed  to  hold  the  title  ot 
Champion  Oarsman  of  the  World.  A  match  was  made  for  the  rival  oarsman  to 
row  over  the  Tyne  Championship  Course  for  £400,  Championship,  and  the  Bportfi- 
man  Challenge  Champion  Cup  that  Hanlan  had  won  from  Elliott.  All  the  pre- 
liminaries for  the  match  were  quickly  and  satisfactorily  arranged. 

Trickett  arrived  in  England  in  company  with  his  Australian  backers  and 
Laycock,  a  noted  oarsman.  He  went  directly  into  training,  and  i^isplayed  great 
form.  Hanlan  arrived  on  the  Thames  soon  after,  but  rowed  his  trials  well  within 
himself,  so  that  the  Australian  sporting  men  were  confident  that  Trickett  would 
defeat  Hanlan. 

The  race  was  rowed  over  the  Thames  Championship  Course  on  November 
15th,  1880,  a  day  long  to  be  remembered  in  the  history  of  international  a<iuatio 
contests. 

English  reports  of  races  on  this  course  usually  describe  the  progress  of  the 
contest  by  localities  instead  of  distances ;  and  for  the  information  of  American 
readers  we  append  a  memorandum  of  the  distances  from  the  start,  in  eighthd  of 
a  mile,  of  the  most  commonly  mentioned  points  along  the  river,  starting  from 
the  Aqueduct :  Star  and  Garter  Hotel,  1  furlong ;  Bishop's  Walk,  1  to  3  furlongf ; 
the  Polars,  1  to  3  furlongs ;  the  Boat-houses,  2  furlongs ;  Bishop's  Creek,  3  fur- 
longs ;  Craven  Cottage,  6  furlongs ;  Dung  Wharf,  7  furlongs ;  Rose  Cottage,  1 
mile  1  furlong ;  Crab  Tree.  1  mile  2  furlongs ;  Soap  Works,  1  mile  4  furlongs ;  Dlf- 
tillery  and  Iron  Foundry,  1  mile  5  furlongs ;  Hammersmith  Bridge,  1  mile  6  fur- 
longs ;  Biffens  and  the  Lead  Mills,  1  mile  7  furlongs ;  the  Doves,  2  miles ;  Upi)er 
Mall,  2  miles  to  2  miles  2  furlongs ;  Old  Mills,  Old  Ship,  Brewery,  and  Bound 
House,  2  miles  2  furlongs ;  Lower  Reservoir,  2  miles  2  furlongs  to  2  miles  4  fur- 
longs ;  Terrace,  2  miles  3  furlongs ;  Chiswick  Ait  and  Chiswick  Mall,  2  mileii  3 
furlongs  to  2  miles  5  furlongs ;  Upper  Reservoir,  2  miles  6  furlongs  to  3  miles ; 
Corney  Lane,  2  miles  7  furlongs ;  Hobb's  Cottage  and  the  Meadow,  3  miles ;  tb© 
Bathing  Place,  3  miles  1  furlong ;  the  Creek,  3  miles  3  furlongs ;  Bull's  Head,  3 
miles  4  furlongs ;  Barnes  Terrace,  3  miles  4  furlongs  to  3  miles  6  furlongs ;  Barnes 
Bridge  and  May's  Boat-house,  3  miles  5  furlongs ;  the  White  Hart,  3  miles  6  fur- 
longs ;  the  Limes,  3  miles  7  furlongs ;  the  Ozier  Beds,  3  miles  6  furlongs  to  i 
miles  4  furlongs ;  Samuel's  Queen's  Head  and  the  Church,  4  miles ;  Brewery  and 


Ma.^»„*£#-.^^,j|.^ 


'■:m4mu.mimmifiifij 


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r 


■  1 


I 


THE   LIFE    OF  EDWARD    KAITLAN. 


Greek,  4  miles  1  furlong ;  Ship,  Leyden  House,  Oromwell  House,  and  White  House, 
4  miles  2  furlongs  to  4  miles  3  furlongs. 

Hanlan  used  his  white  cedar  boat  built  by  George  Wharin,  of  Toronto,  and 
To^ed  in  his  well-known  suit  of  blue.  Triokett  used  a  boat  built  at  Newcastle, 
and  rowed  stripped  to  the  waist.  On  account  of  the  crookedness  of  the  course, 
it  is  customary  in  E&gland  to  allow  to  each  sculler  a  pilot,  who  sits  in  the  bow  of 
an  eifjht-oared  cutter,  follows  closely  behind  the  contestants,  and  steers  his  m^n 
by  bhout  and  gesture. 

The  weather  was  unpleasant.  During  the  early  morning  an  unusually  cold, 
thick,  clammy  fog  enveloped  London,  and  during  the  forenoon  this  mass  of  mist 
seemed  to  melt  into  a  steady,  drizzling  rain.  About  noon  the  fog  became  so 
thin  that  the  assembled  crowds  could  see  across  the  river,  and  when  the  race  was 
started,  at  12 :14  p.  u.,  the  weather  was  cool  and  damp,  but  Without  actual  rain, 
the  tide  almost  full  and  flooding  slowly,  a  very  light  wind  from  northwest,  and 
water  as  smooth  as  could  be  wished. 

The  race.  If  race  it  can  be  called,  hardly  merits  description,  and  was  a  farce 
of  the  broadest  sort.  From  numerous  Independent  despatches  we  arrange  the 
following  account : 

The  start  was  made  from  boats  moored  25  yards  apart,  opposite  the  Star  and 
Churter  Hotel.  Trickett  won  the  toss,  and  ohoosed  the  Middlesex,  or  right  hand 
side,  but  there  was  little  choice  in  the  actual  condition  of  wind  and  tide.  Han- 
lan seemed  in  perfect  condition— cheerful,  confident,  and  even  playful.  Trickett 
appeared  to  be  a  trifle  overtrained,  and  looked  sallow,  careworn,  and  anxious. 
Each  man,  however,  expressed  himself  as  in  good  health,  well-trained,  satisfac- 
torily equipped,  ready  to  row  the  race  without  excuses,  and  to  acknowledge  the 
winner  as  the  best  man.  Trickett's  backers  also  were  satisfied  with  his  condi- 
tion, and  invested  their  money  freely,  even  after  the  men  were  in  their  boats.  It 
is,  therefore,  probable  that  Trickett's  appearance  was  due  to  his  personal  habits 
and  physical  characteristics,  and  that  his  anxious,  careworn  looks  were  usual  to 
him,' and  not  significant  of  poor  condition. 

At  the  moment  when  the  struggle  commenced  there  was  an  easily  observable 
contrast  in  the  demeanor  of  the  men.  Trickett  had  evidently  braced  himself  up. 
Some  moments  before  he  dipped  his  sculls  into  the  water  for  his  initial  stroke 
his  legs  were  firmly  set,  and  there  was  a  brave  look  of  determination  aboi|t  him. 
His  face  was  careworn,  as  he  had  appeared  when  preparing  for  the  contest ;  the 
Unes  in  his  countenace  were  now  much  more  prominent,  and  he  seemed  posi- 
tively haggard.  Hanlan,  on  the  contrary,  maintained  a  cheerful,  almost  rollick- 
iog  demeanor.  The  air  of  bravado  with  which  he  had  gambolled  to  ^he  stake- 
boat  had  not  deserted  him,  and  he  did  not  look  as  though  embarking  on  a  race 
concerning  which  so  many  interests  were  at  issue.  At  the  very  moment  when 
he  got  under  way  he  was  apparently  engaged  in  criticising  his  rival,  and  it  was 
not  until  the  contending  boats  were  well  on  the  move  that  he  turned  his  eyes 
toward  the  stem  of  his  skiff  and  devoted  the  whole  of  his  energies  to  the  busi- 
nees  in  hand. 

During  the  first  minute  Hanlan  rowed  35  strokes,  Trickett  40,  and  it  was  evi- 
dent, thus  early,  that  the  Canadian  had  the  race  at  his  mercy.  He  was  sculling 
easily,  and  plainly  within  himself,  whjle  Trickett  labored  heavily,  and  was 
dearly  exerting  himself  to  the  utmost  limit  of  his  powers. 

At  the  mile  post  the  time  was  not  taken,  as  the  press  boat  was  too  far  be- 
hind. Hanlan  was  about  a  couple  o!  lengths  to  the  good,  and  this  advantage  he 
did  not  seem  to  care  to  increase.  At  the  Crab  Tree  (time  6m.  4s.)  about  the  same 
distance  separated  the  boats,  and  immediately  afterward  Trickett  improved  visi- 
bly. He  not  only  held  his  own,  but  had  the  best  of  the  pace  up  to  the  Soap 
Works,  at  which  point  (time  7m.  46s.}  he  was  about  a  length  and  a  half  in  the 
lear.  Hanlan  nodded  afliably  to  the  applauding  'nultitude,  and  devoted  so  much 
attention  to  them  that  he  steered  right  out  of  his  course,  veering  over  for  the 


* 


THE    LIFE   OF   EDWARD    HANLAN. 


88 


" 


1» 


*  If 


/     !»!• 


northern  shure.  But  a  single  vigorous  stroke  with  his  left  put  the  boat  straight 
again,  and  he  now  demonstrated  that  he  considered  he  had  a  comparatively  easy 
task  before  him,  for  he  sculled  In  a  literally  lazy  style.  However,  he  braced  up 
again  as  Susi>enBion  Bridge,  with  throngs  of  excited  onlookers,  was  neared,  and 
treated  the  assemblage  to  an  exhibition  of  his  marvelous  skill,  passing  beneath 
the  structure  with  a  couple  of  lengths  in  hand.  His  time  to  this  point  was  9m. 
Sis.,  and  Trickett's,  9m.  34s. 

He  kept  on  at  his  smart  imce  until  off  Biffen's  Boat-house,  where  he  treated 
the  onlookers  to  a  dose  of  those  remarkable  manoeuvres  which  created  such  in- 
tense  astonishment  among  the  multitudes  who  saw  him  contend  with  Hawdoa 
on  the  Tyne.  Ceasing  to  row  for  a  moment,  he  leaned  back  in  his  boat  and  in- 
dulged in  a  leisurely  survey  ,  *  the  scenery,  and  when  he  once  more  got  to  work 
it  was  in  a  half-hearted  way,  as  though  he  would  prefer  to  linger,  did  not  cir- 
cumstances comi^el  his  progressing.  Before  ho  had  gone  thirty  yards,  however, 
he  stopped  again,  and  having  thoroughly  got  his  hand  in  at  this  game  he  con- 
tinually repeated  it. 

Trickett  was  a  rather  sorrowful  si)ectacle  from  the  stait.  He  had  kept  hia 
eyes  on  his  mentor,  Kelly,  and  no  can  accuse  him  of  neglecting  his  task  for  a 
single  instant,  but  there  was  a  painful  lack  of  power  about  his  manipulation  of 
the  sculls,  and  it  was  evident  before  Hammersmith  was  reached  that  the  exer- 
tion he  had  made  had  told  upon  him  vei;y  seriously.  His  face  had  assumed  a 
leaden  hue,  and  it  grew  well-nigh  livid  as  he  approached  the  Doves.  With  fast 
decreasing  energy  he  kept  on,  and  the  wild  expression  of  his  countenance  marv- 
ellously contrasted  with  the  demeanor  of  his  opponent. 

About  the  Oil  Mills  a  large  flotilla  of  small  craft  encumbered  the  river,  but 
they  kept  fairly  out  of  the  way,  though  Hanlan  seemed  to  entertain  suspicions 
that  he  might  come  into  collision  with  one  of  them,  as  he  constantly  looked 
around.  Having  apparently  satisfied  himself  that  all  was  right  he  dashed  in 
half  a  dozen  vigorous  strokes  and  'vas  quickly  four  lengths  ahead.  He  now  at- 
tempted a  piece  of  harlequinade,  the  Mke  of  which  was  never  before  witnessed 
in  a  race.  Dropping  his  sculls  clumsily  into  the  water,  he  fell  right  forward  upon 
his  face  and  lay  there  forasecond  or  two.  So  long  did  he  remain  in  a  recumbent 
X>o3ition  that  a  kind  of  groan  came  from  the  spectators,  who  imagined  something 
terrible  had  befallen  him,  but  before  they  could  find  their  voices  to  shout  and 
Inquire  what  was  the  matter,  he  had  sprung  up,  suddenly  resumed  the  sculls, 
and  was  at  work  again,  laughing  merrily.  A  roar  of  laughter  greeted  this  feat, 
and  it  was  some  minutes  before  the  intense  excitement  occasioned  by  it  had 
abated. 

Trickett  had  meanwhile  approached  withls  two  lengths,  but  he  had  no  power 
left  to  draw  nearer,  and  Hanlan,  apparently  as  fresh  as  the  moment  he  started, 
went  away  again  with  consummate  ease.  He  had  a  spell  of  rowing  with  alternate 
sculls,  stopped  repeatedly,  looked  anywhere  but  at  his  pilot,  dawOied  in  every 
conceivable  style,  and  generally  was  as  full  of  antics  as  a  clown.  His  time  to 
Chiswick  Church  was  15m.  343.  Trickett  was  three  lengths  behind.  A  little  fur- 
ther on  Elliott  was  observed  ahead,  .uliing  in  the  direction  oi  Barnes.  Hanlan 
pulled  toward  him  and  the  pair  went  on  in  company,  maintaining  an  animated 
conversation. 

All  along  the  Duke  of  Devonshire's  meadows  this  farce  was  kept  up.  Han- 
lan and  Elliott  rowing  leisurely  side  by  side,  talking,  and  Trickett,  with  blanched 
face  and  labored  breathing,  toiling  in  the  rear.  As  the  Bull's  Head,  at  Barnes, 
was  neared,  Hanlan  bore  away  from  the  Middlesex  shore  on^f*  more.  Some  of 
the  inspired  ones  in  the  press  boat  now  burst  into  prophesy.  TLay  observed  that 
Hanlan  had  threatened  to  beat  Trickett  out  of  sight,  and  they  imagined  he  was 
about  to  commence  that  effort.  Really  there  seemed  some  ground  for  the  sup- 
position, for  the  Canadian  had  squared  his  shoulders,  and  was  skimming  along 
at  a  rapid  pace. 


34 


THE   LIFE  OF  EDWARD    SANLAN. 


f ;  i{ 


This  newly  developed  energy  was  evauesoent.  In  aseoond  or  two  he  iixipped 
his  sculls,  dipped  his  right  band  in  the  river,  and  scooped  up  the  water,  nodding 
genially  in  the  direction  of  the  approaching  steamers.  He  pretended  to  drink, 
then  smoothed  his  hair,  passed  his  palm  across  his  brow,  and  once  more  resum- 
ed work  in  a  languid  fashion.  By  this  time  Elliott  was  once  more  alongside,  and 
the  politoal  or  social  discussion  was  resumed. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Hanlan's  training  quarters,  the  Bull's  Head,  an  immense 
concourse  had  assembled,  and  they  applauded  lustily  as  he  was  seen  with  a  com- 
manding lead,  and  progressing  at  his  ease.  He  ceased  to  work,  and  drawing 
forth  a  white  handkerchief,  waved  it  gracefully  in  the  direction  of  his  admirers, 
while  peals  of  laughter  and  rounds  of  cheers  greeted  him  time  after  time.  He 
passed  beneath  Barnes  Bridge  in  21m.  40s.  from  the  start.  Trickett,  ut- 
terly jaded  and  worn  out,  passed  under  9  seconds  later.  Thenceforth  th(«  pair 
plodded  on  steadily,  Hanlan  gazing  about  him  with  supreme  IndifTerpQce.  A. 
cannon  shot  announced  the  arrival  of  Hanlan  at  the  winning  post  in  26m.  12s. 
Trickett's  time  was  26m.  19s.  Trickett  stopped  exactly  opposite  the  flag-stafT,  and 
apparently  was  not  sorry  that  the  Journey  was  over.  Mr.  Moore,  the  distance 
judge,  gave  the  \erdict  that  the  race  was  won  by  three  lengths. 

We  publish  this  long  and  rambling  description  of  the  match  because  in  no 
other  way  could  we  so  clearly  show  the  absolute  hollowness  of  the  race,  and  the 
marked  superiority  of  Hanlan  to  Trickett.  The  Australian  was  a  man  who  had 
been  tried  thoroughly  and  successfully,  ai|d  was  heavily  backed  by  cool-headed 
experts,  yet  Hanlan  made  child's  play  of  the  race,  and  beat  him  with  the  same 
ridiculous  ease  that  marked  his  triumphs  over  Courtney,  Biley,  Hawdon,  and 
Elliott. 

The  affair  was  a  procession,  not  a  race,  and  the  Canadian— to  speak  after  the 
manner  of  men— made  a  "  holy  show  "  of  his  Australian  opponent.    The  walk    , 
over— for  svich  it  was — offers  no  point  of  special  interest,  and  the  match  is  only 
noteworthy  as  a  remarkable  example  of  mistaken  judgment  by  men  who  are,  or 
should  be,  experts. 

For  a  month  before  the  race  Hanlan  was  hard  at  work  on  the  same  course 
with  Trickett,  and  the  Australian  party  had  every  opportunity  to  wtitch  his  daily 
practice,  to  see  him  row  his  trial  spins,  to  time  him  over  measured  fractional  por- 
tions of  the  course.  But  nothing  that  they  thus  saw  and  heard  could  shake  their 
blind  confidence  in  the  Australian  giant.  They  backed  him  freely  and  persis- 
tently, from  the  day  of  their  arrival  to  the  day  of  the  race,  and  ail  sensational 
stories  about  Trickett's  ill  health,  poor  condition  and  over-training  are  swept 
away  by  the  simple  fact  that  his  backers  were  full  of  confidence  and  betting  their 
money  freely  up  to  the  very  moment  of  starting. 

On  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  they  followed  similar  tactics.    They  tbok  all  of-"" 
fered  bets,  deposited  round  sums  of  "Tricket"  money  in  all  the  prominent 
sporting  resorts,  actually  bet  New  York  city  to  a  stand-still,  and  the  market,  an 
hour  before  the  race,  could  have  been  correctly  quoted : 

" offering  un|ted  sums  on  Trickett,  with  no  takers. " 

And  yet  in  the  race  Trickett  never  had  the  ghost  of  a  chance,  and  Hanlan 
actually  made  sport  of  him,  and  played  monkey  caiiers  all  over  the  river  in  a  race 
which  decided  more  money  than  any  ever  rowed  in  the  world. 

Not  only  were  the  Australians  deceivfjd,  but  many  of  England's  acquatic  ex- 
perts backed  Trickett  freely ;  and  no  one  of  them  all,  after  seeing  the  men  at 
their  work,  doubted  that  the  race  would  be  close  and  severe.  It  is  almost  incom- 
prehensible that  so  many  intelligent  men  could  have  been  so  strangely  wrong, 
and  itwould  seem  that  acquatic  knowledge  and  experiei.ce  are  practically  useless 
in  Judging  the  abilities  of  individual  scullers. 

Perhaps  in  the  history  of  boating  there  was  never  so  much  excitement  over  a 
race  or  such  a  vast  amount  of  money  wagered  as  on  the  great  contest  between 
Hanlan  and  Trickett.    Trickett's  backers  were  the  Thompson  brothers,  well- 


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THE    LITE   OF    I    W     it)    HA. 


AN, 


38 


kuown  book  m 
Sydney  April  iia<!,  (In 
He  arrived  In  N<'w  i 
After  seeing  Boss,  Hh 
actual  race,  he  felt  u 


^Hney.  *    w  South  Wales.    One  of  them,  Barney,  Idft 
horizH<      .  tnak»      ianlan-Trlckett  match  in  America. 
>  vM\y  ir     lune,  utid  attended  the  Provi(len<ie  regatta, 
n,  Boyii,     id  all  the  other  scullers  at  practice  and  In  the 
<  •!  that  V  La  man  could  easily  row  away  from  the  whole 
fleet.    Alas  I    The  losaob  ot  die  'J  tumpson's  were  enormous. 

Hanlan  has  abolished  the  cross-handed  stylo.  He  has  shortened  his  sculls 
inboard  considerably,  and  what  ho  has  taken  off  at  the  handles  he  has  put  into 
the  blades.  His  style  of  pulling,  too,  is  different  to  anj't'iing  hitherto  seen,  and 
it  is  wonderful  with  what  clock-like  regularity  he  swings  backward  and  forward, 
impelling  his  boat  through  the  water  with  a  force  that  sttoms  truly  marvelous 
when  compared  with  the  apparently  small  amount  of  power.  In  Trickett's 
rowing  the  case  is  very  different.  There  the  motor  can  bo  cloatly  traced,  and  a 
novice  can  tell  where  the  power  is  being  put,  and,  great  srullor  as  Triokett  un- 
doubtedly is,  he  evidently  lacks  the  knowledge  of  how  to  e(iualize  his  enormous 
strength  like  Hanlan.  There  is  a  lack  of  that  harmony  of  tlio  members  which 
the  casual  beholder  cannot  fail  to  perceive  when  Hanlan  reaches  forward  or 
swings  backward  with  the  finish  of  the  stroke. 

Regarding  the  Champion's  contest  with  Trickett,  the  London  Uporting  Life 
published  the  following  remarks : 

"Of  the  race  itself  there  is  not  much  to  say.    Tridkett  could  not  go  fast 
enough  to  give  Hanlan  serious  trouble,  and  after  he  had  played  with  his  man  for 
a  few  hundred  yards  the  Canadian  merely  kept  his  opponent  at  full  tension  till 
he  had  rowed  himself  out.    The  result  of  Trickett's  exertions  shows  the  value  of 
the  term  "a  stayer."   Trickett  was  to  have  rowed  the  last  mile  faster  than  the 
first,  and  so  very  likely  he  would  had  he  been  allowed  to  make  his  own  pace. 
As  it  was,  he  was  obliged  to  bustle  himself  from  the  outset,  and  tired  to  a  stand- 
still before  Hammersmith  Bridge  was  reached.    Ho  persevered  gamely  enough, 
but  all  the  fire  and  strength  were  gone,  all  his  faults  became  exaggerated. 
Hanlan 's  sculling  was  worth  travelling  a  hundred  miles  to  see,  and  was  just  as 
good  as  the  other's  was  weak.    Trickett,  with  all  his  long  inboard,  made  small 
use  of  his  natural  advantages  of  reach,  and  as  he  tired,  did  nearly  all  his  work 
with  his  arms  alone,  taking  a  very  short  stroke.    Some  excuse  may  be  made  tor 
him,  as  he  was  overtrained— if  not  ill ;  but,  fit  and  well,  he  is  not  of  the  same 
class  as  the  Canadian.    Hanlan's  style  has  already  been  doscri)>e(l,  and  as  he 
never  allowed  himself  to  be  in  any  way  fiurried  he  showed  to  great  advantage. 
His  victory  was  very  popular,  as  he  was  the  public  favorite  of  the  two.    Trickett 
has  managed  to  make  himself  anything  but  liked  at  Putney— a  curious  thing,  as 
Mr.  Thompson  and  Laycock  have  everyone's  good  word ;  the  other  has  not  made 
friends  where  he  might.    Hanlan,  perhaps  thoughtlessly,  ht:B  lowered  himself 
In  the  estimation  of  many  well-thinking  people.  The  clowning  business  in  which 
he  indulged  when  he  had  Trickett  beaten  was  very  foolish.    It  is  quite  possible 
that  he  was  only  giving  vent  to  his  satisfaction  at  finding  he  had  such  a  good 
thing  on,  but  consideration  for  the  feelings  of  his  plucky  opponent  ought  to  have 
kept  him  from  showing  anything  but  respect  for  him,  beaten  as  he  was.    An- 
other way  of  looking  at  this  tricky  performance  is  suggested  by  the  possibility  of 
his  having  lost  the  race  through  it.    Suppose  that  when  he  invited  accident  he 
had  brought  about  some  mishap,  how  much  of  his  own  and  his  backer's  money 
would  have  been  sacrificed  for  the  sake  of  senseless  larking?    Worsts  than  all, 
he  might  some  day  find  he  had  "cried  Wolf!"  too  often,  and  not  g(^t  assistance 
when  he  had  really  met  with  an  accident.    In  carrying  thousands  of  pounds  en- 
trusted to  his  skill  he  iiad  a  heavy  responsibility,  and,  moreover,  after  the  show 
he  made  of  Trickett,  may  be  a  long  while  before  he  gets  unother  cliance  of  so 
easily  earning  a  fortune.    Besides,  there  should  be  a  certain  amotmt  of  dignity 
attaching  to  the  possession  of  the  title  of  Champion,  and  tricks  certainly  do  not 
add  to  the  value  of  his  position.    The  iruun  thing  is,  though,  that  while  exposing 


M 


THE   J.IFE   OF  EDWARD    HANLAN. 


himself  and  his  backers  to  unnecessary  risk,  his  behavior  can  be  construed  aa 
ungenerous  to  Trlokett.  As  a  rule,  watermen's  desire  of  achiovinK  tame  outlives 
their  powers  of  execution,  and  no  best  performer  of  his  day  has,  in  our  time,  at 
any  rate,  learned  the  decadence  of  his  powers  before  defeat  has  rudely  forced 
the  unpleasant  fact  upon  him.  From  this.  If  from  no  nigher  feeling,  considera- 
tion for  the  beaten  cannot  be  too  strongly  insisted  on.  Apart  from  the  un- 
pleasant episode  Just  dealt  with,  Hanlan's  exhibition  was  splendid,  and  his 
superiority  markedly  established.  For  Trlokett,  it  is  nard  lino»  to  have  come  so 
tar  to  experience  such  a  decisive  reverse,  and  ho  and  his  party  n  ro  heavy  losers. 
It  is  poor  consolation  for  the  second  to  know  that  In  a  match  some  one  must 
lose;  Ictus  hope  that  Trickett's  next  engagement  after  he  has  recovered  his 
health  may  help  to  make  amends  for  his  recent  defeat.  If  the  contest  be  taken 
as  a  test  of  the  merits  of  the  Australian  method  of  sculling,  the  very  much  cross- 
handed  business  may  be  considered  as  done  with." 

After  Ellas  C.  Laycock,  of  Sydney,  Australia,  won  the  llrst  prize  in  the  Inter- 
national Thames  Regatta,  his  admirers  authorized  him  to  challenge  Hanlan  to 
row  for  £200  a  side.  Hanlan  refused  to  row  unless  he  was  allowed  six  weeks  to 
train,  he  having  gained  over  ten  pounds  since  he  ran  away  from  Trickett,  on 
November  15, 1880,  besides,  he  had  sold  his  racing  shells.  Hanlan  finally  de- 
cided to  meet  Laycock  and  row  for  £500  and  the  championship  of  England,  and 
the  race  was  fixed  for  January  17th,  1881.  Hanlan  would  have  rowed  for  the 
Championship  of  the  World,  but  he  desires  to  row  any  man  in  the  world  for  that 
title  on  Toronto  Bay  during  1881.  About  the  time  Hanlan  and  Laycock  were  ar- 
ranging the  preliminaries  for  the  race,  the  Toronto  Globe  published  ^he  fol- 
lowing : 

"It  has  always  been  very  hard  for  the  Spirit  of  Vie  Timea  to  aokno>> ledge 
Hanlan's  supremacy  as  a  sculler,  but  now  that  he  has  literally  "made  a  show" 
of  every  American  oarsman  who  lays  claim  to  any  degree  of  prominence,  any 
but  the  most  pronounced  of  braggarts  would  be  quite  ready  io  "own  up"  and  ac- 
cept the  inevitable ;  but  that  Is  just  the  hardest  task  that  can  bo  sot  for  the  aver- 
age through  and  through  Yankee  to  accomplish,  and  if  there  is  a  man  and  a 
journal  that  are  typical  Yankees  in  this  respect  the  man  is  Charles  E.  Courtney, 
and  the  journal  is  the  Spirit  of  the  Times.  Before  the  race  at  Lachine,  C  urtney 
was  sure  he  could  beut  Hanlan,  and  a  few  days  later,  after  Hanlan  tui> .  good- 
naturedly  conceded  him  a  close  finish  there,  the  "big  duffer"  was  a:,'ain  boasting 
that  he  could  beat  the  Canadian.  They  met  at  Chatauqua  Lak(\  and  before 
Courtney  would  go  out  upon  the  water  he  wanted  a  promise  froTu  Hanlan  in 
writing  that  he  (Courtney)  would  be  allowed  to  win,  and  when  1  <  found  that 
Hanlan  meant  to  pull  the  race  "on  his  merits"  he  sawed  his  boat:s  to  sneak  out 
of  the  contest.  At  last  they  met  at  'V7ashington,  and  Hanlan  made  a  sorry  ex- 
hibition of  the  Union  Springs  man,  just  as  he  had  promised  to  do  if  ever  he 
caught  him  on  the  water  again.  And  yet  after  all  this  the  Spirit  of  the  Times  has 
the  assurance  to  say :  'if  a  certain  American  sculler  had  Laycock's  heart  inside 
his  vest,  the  Champion  of  the  World  would  have  lived  in  New  York  since  1876.' 
What  in  the  name  of  common  sense  has  Courtney  ever  done  to  warrant  such  an 
impudent  assertion?  Admitting  that  Hanlan  frightened  the  heart  out  of  him  at 
Lachine,  and  that  thirty  or  forty  thousand  dollars  from  Toronto  frightened  the 
hearts  out  of  the  so-called  sporting  men  who  followed  him,  so  that  before  the 
race  came  off  it  was  hard  to  get  money  on  Hanlan  at  any  odds,  that  is  no  reason 
why  Courtney  should  tremble  at  the  mention  of  Trickett's  name ;  and  yet  if 
Trickett  ever  comes  to  this  part  of  the  world  to  row  a  race  with  Courtney  the 
Australians  will  have  to  put  their  money  on  at  three  to  one.  If,  as  the  Spirit  of 
the  Times  still  persists  or  impudently  insinuating,  Courtney  can  row  five  miles  in 
less  time  than  Hanlan  can,  he  surely  need  not  be  afraid  to  row  against  a  man 
with  whom  Hanlan  literally  played.  The  big  Yankee  would  not  require  the 
heart  of  a  British  colonist  under  his  vest  to  win  such  an  easy  race  as  that  would 


1 


' 


THE   LIFE  OF  EDWARD    HANLAN. 


tr 


f) 


be ;  and  yet  if  Courtney  and  his  twin  brother,  wh<^edits  the  aquatic  portion  of 
the  Spirit  of  the  Tlmeft,  could  only  muster  ButTlolent  couruKO  tomakeeuohd 
match— and  win  it— they  could  tiike  more  money  out  of  the  Australians  than 
would  cover  the  combined  losses  of  all  American  citizens  who  hs  )  from  time  to 
time  taken  the  "short  end  of  It"  against  Hanlan.  They  could  in  their  own  classi- 
cal venacular  win  bar'ls  of  money.  But  of  course  they  won't  do  it.  They  might 
possibly  bring  in  some  sort  of  a  race  for  a  purse,  but  when  it  came  to  riskingany 
money  they  wouldn't  jmt  in  a  cent." 

The  same  article,  a  large  imrtlon  of  which  was  forwarded  to  us  by  telegraph 
and  published  some  days  since,  closes  with  the  following  allusion  to  Hanlan : 
"But  the  general  public  will  hardly  fall  to  believe  that  he  avoided  the  regatta  be- 
cause Boss  was  a  dangerous  customer,  and  now  runs  away  from  Laycock  be- 
cause, in  a  contest  with  him,  there  would  be  blows  to  receive  as  well  as  blows 'to 
give. 

"  If  Hanlan  was  afraid  of  Boss  why  did  he  row  him  down  on  Toronto  Bay, 
on  the  Kennebeccasis,  and  on  Kempenfeldt  T^'iy?  If  he  was  afraid  of  Laycock 
why  did  he  engage  in  a  match  with  Trlcket^ .  -ho  at  the  time  was  supposed  to  be 
Laycock's  superior.  If  he  is  anxious  to 
want  to  raise  the  stake  from  £200  to  . .  i' 
agine  that  he  would  like  to  have  o* 
ble.    The  truth  of  the  matter  i^  rim  , 


t\^\ 


more  illustrious  by  defeating  any  si.  .- 

Very  foolish  to  engage  in  another 

Up  between  loss  of  time  and  exitoiis* 


-'    from«Laycock,  why  does  he 
dred  a  beating  one  would  im- 
'   :!  his  friends  as  little  as  possi- 
diaulan  cannot  make  his  record 
the  public,  and  he  would  be 
..ngs  of  which  would  be  eaten 
xxu  nas  only  acted  in  a  common  sense 


nianner  in  insisting  tha^  his  next  race,  if  it  be  rowed  away  from  home,  shall  be 
tor  a  sum  more  than  sufhoient  to  cover  loss  of  time  and  expenses.  If  the  Aus- 
tralians think  Laycock  can  beat  him  they  will  put  up  the  money  fast  enough ; 
and  if  they  do  not,  they  have  no  business  to  ask  him  to  remain  over  merely  to 
lead  another  procession  from  Putney  to  Mortlake." 

Hanlan 's  speed  in  a  shell  is  amazing.  He  is  not  a  very  big  man,  nor  all  over 
a  powerful  one,  though  he  is  exceptionally  well  develoi)ed,  not  only  where  an 
oarsman  always  wants  it— in  tho  loins— but  where  one  who  rows  as  he  does  abso- 
lutely must  have  it— in  the  exten.^or  muscles  of  the  legs.  For  he  does  not  kick 
hia  stretcher,  or  shove  his  feet  against  it  with  anything  like  a  jerk ;  but  he  sets 
them  against  it  and  pushes  with  the  heaviest  and  mightiest  force  he  can  possibly 
apply,  much  as  a  man  pushes  with  his  legs  and  feet  upon  the  floor  when  he  be- 
strides half  a  ton  and  lifts  it— if  he  can.  This  supreme  push,  far  more  forceful 
than  any  sudden  kick  could  be,  throws  every  ounce  of  pressure  against  that  ful- 
crum that  he  can  possibly  impose.  Hence  he  gets  more  power  into  his  work 
than  any  less  effective  pusher  could  get,  and  it  rushes  him  forward  accordingly. 
This  is  largely  why  thirty-six  of  his  strokes  send  him  faster  than  forty-one  of 
Trickett's,  and  put  him  two  good  lengths  to  the  front  before  either  is  off  the 
Crab  Tree,  and  while  both  are  comparatively  fresh.  It  is  hard  work,  and  ac- 
counts for  Hanlan 's  many  stops  to  rest,  but  it  does  the  business.  It  looks  about 
hopeless  for  a  rower  on  the  old  method  to  try  to  cope  with  him.  It  really  need 
not  be  so,  for  at  least  to  the  more  intelligent  among  the  rowing  men  it  mustseem 
astonishing  that  a  man  like  Trickett,  a  professional,  who  has  for  years  been 
champion  of  the  world,  has  not  sense  and  judgment  enough  to  let  such  a  rusher 
go  on  about  his  business,  and  instead  of  trying  like  a  freshman  to  catch  him  by 
crazy  spurts  at  the  start,  so  distribute  his  strength  and  wind  as  to  carry  him  his 
fastest,  whatever  that  may  be,  over  the  whole  four  miles  and  three  furlongs,  not 
over  a  paltry  half  mile.  For,  as  usual  in  Hanlan 's  races,  the  time  over  the  whole 
course  is  slow,  though  marvelously  fast  for  a  little  way  as  long  as  it  is  necessary. 
If  on  that  dead  flat  water,  and  with  the  current  as  it  was,  Trickett  and  his 
friends  had  not  thought  before  the  fight  he  could  have  done  the  distance  in  less 
than  twenty-five  minutes  they  would  probably  never  have  let  him  leave  Aus- 


S8 


THE  LIFE  OF  EDWARD   HANLAN. 


w 


tralla.  And  yet  his  little  rival  thrashes  him  hopelessly,  and  makes  a  laughing 
i^ck  of  him  in  twenty-six  minutes  and  twelve  seconds.  There  is  a  lesson  for 
Oxford  and  Cambridge  in  all  this.  There  is  a  lesson  for  Harvard  and  Yale  in  it, 
and  for  every  oarsman  or  sculler,  amateur  or  professional,  who  ever  means  to 
row  a  race.    Let  us  see  who  will  first  learn  it. 

Hanlan  resides  at  Toronto,  Canada.  He  has  been  made  a  freeholder,  and 
the  Canadians  presented  him  with  a  free  lease  of  the  island  opposite  Toronto, 
and  they  also  presented  him  with  his  home,  which  cost  over  $20,000.  Hanlan  has 
a  large  circle  of  social  friends.  He  is  gentlemanly  in  his  manners,  and  wherever 
he  goes  boating  men  honor  him.  While  in  London,  England,  he  gained  a  host 
of  friends.  It  will  be  a  long  time  before  another  oarsman  crosses  the  Atlantic 
and  wins  the  honors  and  laurels  for  his  country  as  Hanlan  did. 

Hanlan  is  one  of  the  greatest  oarsman  that  ever  appeared.  He  is  in  his 
golden  prime,  and  what  may  be  done  with  a  pair  of  sculls  and  a  racing  boat 
he  can  do.  He  is  a  man  of  very  symmetrical  build,  muscUlar  and  strong  with- 
out being  clumsy,  his  wind  is  good,  his  constitution  excellent.  He  abounds  in 
resolution,  and  he  is  conformable  to  the  wishes  of  his  trainer.  At  the  same  time 
he  weighs  more,  when  in  condition,  than  many  think.  When  he  beat  Courtney 
one  of  the  sage  reporters  of  this  city  described  him  as  a  boy,  the  fact  being  that 
he  was  bigger  and  heavier  than  Tom  Sayers,  champion  of  England,  had  ever 
been,  in  fighting  condition,  in  his  life. 

Hanlan 's  victory,  or  rather  his  series  of  victories,  teaches  a  lesson,  of  course. 
He  is  not  nearly  so  powerful-looking  a  man  as  Trickett,  or  as  half  a  dozen  oars- 
men whom  he  has  defeated.  A  man,  however,  is  like  a  machine.  He  is  just  as 
strong  as  his  weakest  part.  Great  muscles  are  of  little  use  if  there  are  not  lungs 
equally  good  to  back  them,  and  powerful  lungs  are  next  to  nothing  In  a  race  if 
heart  and  other  organs  are  not  fully  as  able  to  bear  their  part  of  the  strain. 
Hanlan  is  like  the  deacon's  celebrated  "one-horse  shay."  All  his  parts  are  equally 
balanced.  Eyery  muscle  seems  to  be  just  as  strong  as  its  fellow,  and  probably 
when  Hanlan  gives  way  he  will  go  altogether,  as  the  "one-horse  shay"  did. 

Hanlan  bears  the  same  relation  to  the  art  of  rowing  that  Bowell  does  to 
that  of  walking.  As  in  Bowell's  case,  his  victories  have  always  left  the  extent 
of  his  powers  a  matter  of  conjecture.  Neither  of  the  athletes  have  ever  been 
pushed  to  his  utmost,  and  each  has  been  satisfied  to  merely  win  his  event  and 
leave  the  definite  measure  of  his  abilities  undecided. 


HISTOBT    OF    THE    ENGLISH    CHAMPIONSHIP. 

The  history  of  the  Championship  of  England  is  briefly  as  follows :  The  title 
was  first  claimed  In  1831,  by  the  winner  of  a  match  race,  and  for  45  years  there- 
after it  passed  from  man  to  man  by  matches  made  and  rowed  by  the  holder  and 
some  ambitious  challenger.  There  was  no  trophy  to  represent  the  champion- 
ship, and  when  a  new  sculler  came  to  the  front  he  received  the  name  and  noth- 
ing more.    The  record  of  these  races  is  given  below. 

Sept.  9, 1831,  Westminster  to  Hammersmith— C.  Campbell,  Westminster,  beat 
Williams. 

Aug.  19,  1846,  Putney  to  Mortlake— E.  Coombes,  Vauxhall,  26m.  15s. ;  C. 
Campbell,  2.    All  subsequent  matched  on  the  Thames  were  over  this  course. 

May  24, 1852— T.  Cole,  Chelsea,  25m.  15s ;  B.  Coombes,  2. 

Nov.  20, 1854— J.  A.  Messenger,  Teddington,  24m.  25s. ;  T,  Cole,  2. 

May  12, 1857— H.  Kelley,  Fulham,  24m.  30s. ;  J.  A.  Messenger,  1. 

Sept.  29, 1859— B.  Chambers,  Newcastle,  25m.  248. ;  H.  Kelley,  2. 

Aug.  8, 1865— H.  Kelley,  23m.  26s. ;  B.  Chambers,  2. 

Nov.  22, 1866— B.  Chambers,  25m.  4s. ;  H.  Kelley,  2. 

May  6, 1867,  on  the  Tyne,  from  High  Level  Bridge  to  Leamington  Point— H. 
Kelley,  31m.  47s. ;  B.  Chambers,  6. 


THE   LIFE  OF  EDWARD    HANLJN. 


29 


^.  It^ 


Nov.  17, 1868,  Putney  to  Mortlake— J.  Renforth,  Newcastle,  23m.  158. ;  H. 
Eelley,  2.    Beaforth  died  without  another  race  for  this  title. 

April  16, 1874— J.  H.  Sadler,  Surbitoti,  24m.  15s. ;  R.  Bagnall,  Ouseburn,  2. 

Nov.  15, 1875— J,  H.  Sadler,  18m.  11 1-28, ;  R.  W.  Boyd,  Gateshead,  2. 

June  27, 1876— E.  Trlokett,  Sydney,  New  Routh  Wales,  24m.  358. ;  J.  H.  Sad- 
ler, 2. 

Trickett  soon  afterward  sailed  for  his  far-off  home,  carrying  with  him  this 
championship,  and,  as  no  English  sculler  wished  to  travel  so  far  for  a  chance  to 
win  back  the  lost  title,  innumerable  disputes  arose  as  to  who  was  the  resident 
champion,  and  where  the  race  should  be  rowed.  To  bring  order  out  of  this 
chaos,  the  proprietors  of  the  Newcastle  Daily  Chronicle  offered  a  beautiful  silver 
cup  as  an  emblem  to  represent  the  Championship  of  England,  to  be  rowed  for 
first  in  an  open  regatta,  and  subsequently  by  challenge,  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  old  championship,  and  to  become  the  permanent  property  of  any  sculler  who 
should  win  it  in  three  successive  races. 

The  regatta  was  held  March  17,  and  19, 1877,  on  the  Tyne,  from  the  Mansion 
House  to  Scotswood  Susi)en8ion  Bridge.  First  heat,  W.  Nicholson,  Stockton, 
30m. ;  W.  Elliott,  Pegswood,  2.  Second  heat,  R.  W.  Boyd,  Gateshead,  30m.  18s. ; 
W.  Lumsden,  Blyth,  2.    Final  beat,  Boyd,  25m.  45s. ;  Nicholson,  2. 

May  28, 1877,  Putney  to  Morthike— R.  W.  Boyd,  29m.  J.  Higgins,  Shadwell,  2. 

Oct.  8, 1877,  same  course~J.  Higgins,  24m.  10s. ;  R.  W.  Boyd,  2. 

Jan.  14,  1878,  Tyne  course—J.  Higgins  beat  R.  W.  Boyd  on  a  foul. 

June  3, 1878,  Putney  to  Mortlake— J.  Higgins,  24m.  388. ;  W.  Elliott,  2. 

Higgins  now  became  the  i)ermanent  owner  of  this  Cup,  and  to  promote  and 
encourage  sport,  the  proprietors  of  the  London  SporUsman  gave  a  cup  on  similar 
conditions. 

The  regatta  was  rowed  Sept.  16  and  17, 1878,  from  Putney  to  Mortlake.  First 
heat,  W.  Elliott,  25m.  35s. ;  J.  Higgins,  2.  Second  heat,  R.  W.  Boyd,  28m.  223. ; 
T.  Blackman,  Dulwich,  2.    Final  hcut,  Elliott  beat  Boyd  on  a  foul. 

Feb.  16, 1879,  Tyne  courso—W.  Elliott,  22m.  Is. ;  J.  Higgins,  2. 

June  16, 1879,  Tyne  course- E.  Hanlan,  Toronto,  Ont.,  21m.  Is. ;  W.  Elliott,  2. 

Nov.  15, 1880,  Putney  to  Mortlake— E.  Hanlan,  26m.  123. ;  E.  Trickett,  Sydney, 
New  South  Wales,  2. 

Should  Haalaa  win  the  cup  again.  It  will  become  his  absolute  property. 


r 


] 

[ 


fjfrrr:'r7^ 


tr- 


■!<•■«?«-«*•*- 


fii'fjim     ^imnwi 


EDWARD  A.  TRICKETT. 


The  Australian  sculler  certainly  has  not  such  a  m')teor-like  record  as  the 
Toronto  representative,  but,  at  the  same  time,  his  biography  is  worth  record- 
ing. He  is  a  fine  speciman  of  the  human  race,  standing,  as  he  does,  six  feet 
four  inches  in  his  stockings.  He  is  broad  in  proportion,  and  of  fairly  pleasing 
features,  though  he  has  at  times  a  somewhat  aged  and  careworn  exx^ression.  He 
is  now  just  thirty  years  of  age,  and  was  born  in  Australia.  His  weight  varies 
very  little,  and  may  be  put  down  at  13  stone  8  lbs.  He  is  a  man  of  "very  few 
Words,"  most  reticent  as  regards  himself,  and  it  is  at  all  times  difficult  to  get 
any  information  out  of  him.  As  his  history  naturally  has  to  be  dragged  out  of 
him,  it  is  necessarily  sparce.  At  the  same  time  sufficient  information  has  been 
given  to  one  of  our  correspondents  to  show  the  leading  events  in  the  Sydney 
champion's  aquatic  career.  Like  many  of  the  most  famous  English  oarsmen, 
he  began  his  life  on  the  river  early,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  rowed  his  first 
race — ^a  small  event  of  little  importance.  For  five  years  he  continued  steadily  at 
practice,  occasionally  varying  his  life  with  a  match  with  one  or  another  of  his 
local  rivals.  On  the  day  after  Christmas,  1868,  by  which  time  he  had  reached  his 
eighteenth  year,  he  brought  off  his  first  contest  of  any  moment.  Tempted  by  his 
success  in  a  home  regatta,  he  challenged  a  man  named  William  Hickey,  who 
was  then  champion  of  Australia.  The  young  aspirant  for  fame  had,  however, 
cause  to  rue  his  temerity,  for  he  was  beaten  hollow  by  Hickey.  This  defeat 
seemed  to  have  thoroughly  knocked  the  conceit  out  of  him,  for  he  did  not  again 
tempt  the  fates  for  some  time.  When  he  next  emerged  from  his  shell  it  was  to 
meet  a  promising  sculler  named  H.  Pearce,  whom  he  rowed  in  Sydney  Harbor 
for  a  stake  of  £25  a  side,  the  distance  covered  being  four  miles  amongst  the 
islands.  In  this  instance  he  went  away  at  a  rattling  pace,  and  came  out  of  the 
fray  an  easy  victor.  His  opponent  was,  however,  not  satisfied,  and  again  chal- 
lenged him.  A  second  match  was  made,  and  the  pair  once  more  met,  the  betting 
being  in  favor  of  Trickett,  who  merited  the  confidence  placed  in  him  by  liter- 
ally knocking  his  opponent  "into  a  cocked  hat."  These  victories  gave  the  Syd- 
ney man  a  lift  up  in  the  world,  and  from  that  time  he  was  looked  upon  as  a  man 
of  promise,  and  one  who  must  not  be  neglected.  The  year  1874  next  saw  him  in 
aracing  skiff;  in  this  instance  his  rival  was  Michael  Kush.  The  scene  of  the 
struggle  was  the  Clarence  River  regatta,  and  as  Bush  had  earned  the  somewhat 
ambiguous  title  of  champion,  and  had  the  credit  of  being  a  first-class  man,  the 
i,vent,  was  awaited  with  perhaps  more  interest  than  any  previous  bout  at  the  An- 
tipodes. Trickett  in  this  instance  was  not  sucx-essful,  his  opponent  holding  him 
to  the  end.  The  backers  of  the  loser,  howeve  r,  were  not  disposed  to  let  the 
matter  drop,  but  Rush  would  not  again  come  to  the  mark,  and  the  match  fell 
through.  Trickett  thereupon  immediately  assumed  the  title  of  champion  of 
Autitralia,  and  for  some  time  no  oarsman  was  found  clever  enough  or  plucky 
enough  to  dispute  his  title  to  the  same.  The  deadlock  continued  until  the  month 
of  January,  1876,  when  a  man  named  R.  Green  was  found  bold  enough  to  try  his 
luck  with  Trickett  for  the  championship  scull  prize,  value  £25,  an  ^vent  which 
came  off  in  Sydney  Harbor.  Here  Trickett  once  more  came  to  the  front,  for  he 
had  :hings  virtually  all  his  own  wav.  A  proof  of  his  stamina  was  also  given  in 
•  30  . 


THE   LIFE  OF  EDWARD    HAWLAN. 


31 


<.'  m 


the  fact  that,  in  company  with  his  elder  brother,  William,  he  won  a  double 
sculling  race  for  fifteen  guineas  on  the  same  day.  And  now  came  a  turning  point 
in  Trickett's  career.  No  one— not  even  Laycook,  who  was  then  coming  forward 
in  public  estimation— could  be  foimd  bold  enough  to  challenge  him.  At  this 
juncture  a  speculative  publican  in  Sydney,  Mr.  James  Punch,  took  Trickett  in 
hand,  with  a  view  of  trying  the  tall  oarsman's  skill  against  foreign  talent.  With 
an  almost  lavish  hand  he  provided  him  with  funds,  and  offered  to  pay  the  whole 
of  his  expenses  if  he  would  make  a  journey  to  England  and  row  Joseph  Sadler, 
who  was  then  "cock  of  the  walk"  on  the  Thames,  and  who  had  assumed  the  am- 
biguous title  of  "Champion  of  the  World."  The  undertaking  was  undoubtedly 
a  bold  one,  but,  nevertheless,  Trickett  possessed  heart  enough  to  engage  in  it, 
and  duly  set  sail  for  the  Old  World.  Curiously  enough  he  arrived  in  England  on 
the  day  of  the  great  University  aquatio  carnival,  the  Oxford  and  Cambridge  boat 
race.  The  Bells  at  Putney  has  from  time  immemorial  been  the  headquarters  of 
rowing  men  on  the  Thames,  and  it  was  at  this  comfortable  hostelry  that  Trickett 
and  his  friends  found  good  quarters.  On  the  noble  English  river  the  Australian 
took  daily  practice,  and  as  the  weather  was  charmingly  fine,  thoroughly  enjoyed 
his  visit.  It  could  not  be  expected  that  the  Englishmen  would  believe  that  a 
Ciolonial  could  possibly  beat  their  champion,  "Old  Jo,"  as  he  was  familiarly  be- 
dubbed,  and  as  a  consequence  the  betting  ruled  strongly  in  favor  of  the  Thames 
man,  as  much  as  two  to  one  being  laid  on  his  chance.  Certainly  a  little  modifi- 
cation was  made  before  the  day  of  the  race,  and  six  to  four  was  all  that  could  be 
obtained  when  the  official  steamer  started  on  its  way  up  the  river  in  the  wake  of 
the  competitors.  Details  of  this  great  race,  which  will  ever  stand  prominent  in 
the  history  of  sculling,  have  already  been  printed  and  published  wherever  the 
English  language  is  spoken ;  still  this  may  be  a,  f  tting  opportunity  for  recall- 
ing cortain  of  the  leading  features  of  the  contest,  flrrry  Kelly,  who  had  char>>'e 
of  the  Australian,  had  brought  his  man  to  the  pink  of  perfection,  and  at  the 
time  he  stepped  into  his  boat  he  scaled  exactly  12  stone  1 1-2  pounds.  The  day 
was  terribly  hot,  for  the  race  took  place  in  the  middle  of  June.  No  fewer 
than  eleven  steamers  followed  in  the  wake  of  the  competitors,  and  the  banks  of 
the  stream  were  lined  with  spectators.  It  was  nearly  six  o'clock  before  a  start 
was  made,  owing  to  the  tide,  which  would  not  have  suited  in  an  earlier  part 
ot  the  day.  It  was  seen  at  the  outset  that  Trickett  had  slightly  the  lead,  but 
when  at  Hammersmith  the  Australian  passed  under  the  bridge  fully  twelve 
seconds  in  front  of  his  opponent,  the  betting  went  round  with  a  bang,  and  ten 
to  one  was  offered  in  favor  of  the  leader. 

After  this,  though  Sadler  made  a  determined  spurt,  the  race  resolved  itself 
into  a  procession  of  two,  and  the  English  champion  was  easily  defeated,  the  win- 
ner coming  in  paddling,  the  time  occupied  being  24m.  553.  Various  excuses  were 
of  course  offered  to  account  for  Sadler's  shocking  exhibition  of  pace,  the  one 
gaining  most  credence— and  probably  the  true  one — being  that  poor  Joe  was  un- 
well and  utterly  unfit  to  row.  The  Australian  party  were  in  fine  feather  over  the 
achievement,  and  challenges  were  thrown  out  like  waste  paper,  the  only  person 
found  to  pick  one  up  being  William  Lumsden,  of  Newcastle.  Owing  to  a  hitch 
in  the  negotiations,  however,  this  match  did  not  come  off,  and  Lumsden  paid 
forfeit. 

Tricket  then  resolved  to  go  back  to  Australia,  but  before  doing  so  delivered  a 
parting  shot  by  offering  to  row  any  one  who  had  heart  enough  to  go  to  the  Col- 
ony for  £500  a  side,  and  to  allow  £150  for  expenses.  This  tempting  offer  was  not 
accepted,  and,  so  far  as  English  scullers  were  concerned,  Trickett  went  home 
with  flying  colors. 

Arriving  there  he  was  received  by  the  Colonials  with  open  arms,  treated  like 
a  hero,  feted  and  presented  with  testimonials,  and  was  for  a  time  the  "  lion  "  of 
Sydney.  Thinking,  probably,  that  he  should  accumulate  a  larger  pile  of  dollars 
by  embarking  in  trade  than  by  embarking  in  skiffs,  Trickett  set  up  as  a  hotel 


'\ 


THE   LIFE    OF  EDWARD    HANLAN. 


keeper.  In  this  capacity  he  was  fairly  successful,  but  the  aquatic  party  did  not 
seem  disposed  to  let  him  him  rest,  for  his  old  rival  of  the  Clarence  Biver,  Bush, 
challenged  him  to  prove  his  title  to  the  championship  of  the  world,  or  throw  it 
down  at  the  feet  of  a  better  man.  Once  more  Trickett  put  on  the  "swonkes," 
and  went  into  training  steadily  and  unostentatiously  as  usual.  The  day  of  the 
race  again  saw  the  hotel-keeper's  colors  in  the  ascendant,  for  at  the  mile  distance 
he  broke  the  heart  of  his  opponent,  and  rowed  in  winner  as  he  pleased.  The 
victorious  man,  however,  was  destined  to  haul  down  his  flag. 

Entering  in  the  annual  regatta  in  Sydney  Harbor,  he  was  beaten  hollow  by 
his  present  comi)anion,  Laycock.  Every  excuse,  however^j  must  be  made  for 
Trickett,  as  there  is  no  doubt  that  at  the  time  of  the  race  he  was  unwell,  besides 
which  he  was  still  feeling  the  effects  of  an  accident  by  which  he  had  lost  one  of 
his  fingers.  Once  more  he  met  Laycock.  This  time  on  the  Paramatta  Biver, 
and  then  Laycock  had  to  succumb.  The  match  was  for  £500,  and  the  victory  un- 
doubtedly placed  Trickett  at  the  head  of  the  oarsmen  in  the  Colony. 

Trickett  then  rowed  in  the  International  Begatta  and  was  beaten  in  the  trial 
heats.  On  Nov.  29, 1880,  he  rowed  Wallace  Boss,  of  St.  John,  N.  B.,  over  the 
Thames  championship  course,  from  the  Aqueduct  to  the  "Ship"  at  Mortlake. 
The  bettingjustbefore  the  start  was  in  Boss'  favor,  but  there  were  no  takers. 
In  drawing  for  position  Boss  secured  the  Surrey  station.  A  capital  start  was  ef- 
fected and  the  Canadian  immediately  went  to  the  front  a  leng^th  or  more,  where 
he  remained  until  Hammersmith  was  reached.  Here  a  foul  occurred,  Trickett's 
scull  touching  Boss'  boat.  They  quickly  drew  apart  and  Boss  again  pulled  ahead 
a  little.  The  race  to  the  top  of  Cheswick  Eyot  was  a  good  one,  the  men  being  on 
almost  even  terms  most  of  the  way.  At  Chiswick  Trickett  took  his  boat  in  hand 
and  rowed  away  from  Boss  as  he  liked.  The  Canadian  was  thoroughly  beat  at 
Barnes  Bridge,  where  Trickett  was  several  lengths  ahead  and  pulling  a  fast,  easy 
and  graceful  stroke.  He  slackened  his  pace  before  reaching  the  goal  and  landed 
an  easy  winner  by  4  lengths  in  30m.  23s. 

Boss  immediately  put  in  a  claim  of  foul,  and  the  umpire,  after  hearing  both 
sides,  decided  the  race  must  be  rowed  over  on  December  4th,  over  the  same 
course.  The  race  was  won  by  Wallace  Boss  with  the  greatest  of  ease.  Boss' 
portrait  appears  in  this  woi.c. 

This  race  was  the  fifth  International  Single-Scull  Match  la  which  America 
has  sent  out  a  representative  to  meet  the  champions  of  the  Thames  and  Tyne. 
In  July,  1866,  James  Hamill,  having  defeated  Joshua  Ward,  was  sent  to  England 
to  row  Hai.  /  Kelly,  the  English  champion.  Hamill  was  a  Pittsburgh  fire  lad- 
die, a.  ""  in  numerous  contests  had  proved  himself  a  wonder  in  a  shell.  Two 
races  were  rowed,  and  Harry  Kelly,  who  was  then  in  the  zenith  of  his  pnme, 
easily  won  both  races,  which  were  for  three  and  five  miles.  In  1869,  Walter 
Brown,  having  won  the  Championship,  went  to  England  to  row  Sadler  and  Ben- 
forth,  the  English  champions.  Brown  made  a  match  with  Sadler,  but  had  to 
forfeit  through  being  afflicted  with  boils.  Brown,  however,  met  Sadler's  brother 
on  the  Tyne,  and,  although  he  met  with  anything  but  fair  play,  he  won  easily. 
During  the  race  Joe  Sadler  tried  to  swamp  his  shell  by  running  a  steamboat  close 
to  him.  Brown  put  on  spurt  after  spurt,  and  his  opponent,  being  pressed  so 
hard,  fainted  in  h?3  shell.  Joseph  Sadler  afterward  made  up  for  his  losses  by 
attacking  Brown,  with  a  gang  of  roughs,  near  Putney.  Brown,  however,  was 
treated  with  great  kindness  by  Newcastle  boating  men,  and  received  handsome 
testimonials. 

The  next  International  race  was  between  Edward  Hanlan  and  John  Hawdon. 
The  race  took  p'  ace  over  the  Tyne  championship  course  on  May  6,  1879.  Hanlai^ 
won  easily,  rowing  the  course  in  32m.  28.  During  the  race  Hanlan  stopped  fre^ 
quently  and  bailed  his  boat  out.  The  next  great  international  race,  America 
against  England,  was  between  William  Elliott,  of  |Newcastle-on-Tyne,  and  Ed- 
ward Hanlan,  for  £400,  Championship  of  England,  and  the  Spwtsman  Champion 


did  not 
r,  Rush, 
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,y  of  the 
distance 
5d.    The 

jllow  by 
aade  for 
.,  besides 
ist  one  of 
:ta  River, 
ctoryun- 

L  the  trial 
,  over  the 
Hortlake. 

0  takers. 
,rt  was  ef- 
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Irickett's 
led  ahead 

1  being  on 
it  in  hand 
ily  beat  at 
,  fast,  easy 
nd  landed 

,ring  both 
r  the  same 
ise.    Ross* 

h  America 
and  Tyne. 
,0  England 
h  fire  lad- 
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his  prime, 
369,  Walter 
r  and  Ren- 
but  had  to 
sr's  brother 
won  easily, 
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pressed  so 
is  losses  by 
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in  Hawdon. 
179.  HanlaA 
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M 


ms  LIFE   OF  EDWARD    HANLANi 


Challenge  Gup.  It  was  rowed  over  the  Tyne  championship  ooiirse  on  June  16, 
1879,  and  created  great  interest  ail  over  the  world.  The  distance  of  the  Tyne 
championship  couise  is  8  miles  760  rods.  America  was  again  triumphant,  for 
Hanlan  won  as  he  pleased,  and  rowed  the  course  in  faster  t'.me  than  it  was  ever 
rowed  before.  Hanlan 's  style  of  rowing  created  a  revolut!.on  in  boating  circles 
in  England,  and  he  was  looked  upon  as  a  wonder. 

The  English  sporting  press  published  the  following  after  Hanlan's  victory. 
The  Standard  said : 

"  It  proves  Hanlan  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  scullers,  if  not  the  greatest,  that 
has  yet  appeared.  His  victory  to-day  is  a  victory  of  perfect  style  over  sheer  foroe. 
By  what  distanpe  Hanlan  would  have  v.  on  if  he  had  pulled  his  best  throughout 
the  race  it  is  impossible  to  say,  but  he  probably  would  have  passed  the  'Ship' 
at  Mortlake  somewhere  about  half  a  mile  in  advance  of  his  gigantic  opponent. 
From  the  very  first,  judging  from  Hanlan's  manner,  he  must  have  felt  confident 
of  victory.  Before  a  quarter  of  a  mile  had  been  rowed  Hanlan's  face  wore  a 
cheerful  look.  Indeed,  at  times  one  could  see  him  smiling  to  his  mentor  in  the 
cutter,  while,  on  the  other  hand,  Trickett  looked  haggard  and  anxious.  Consid- 
erable interest  was  taken  in  the  race,  judging  from  the  crowd,  which  assembled 
in  great  numbers  at  Hammersmith  and  Barnes.  Hanlan's  victory,  too,  was  evi- 
dently very  popular,  loud  cheers  invariably  following  the  announcement  of  the 
result  on  the  return  journey  home." 

The  Sportsman  thus  explains  Trickett's  defeat :  "  We  believe,  first,  that 
Hanlan  is  superior  as  a  sculler  to  Trickett,  and  second,  we  do  not  think  Tr!ckett 
was  at  all  as  well  as  could  be  hoped  for.  Weeks  ago,  when  he  made  the  trip  to 
the  Isle  of  Wight  and  France,  he  was  overtrained.  He  had  worked  himself  to  a 
pltoh  of  muscular  tension  which  nature  refused  to  sustain  long  and  relaxation 
ensued.  Probably  he  was  suffering  from  one  of  those  relapses  yesterday.  It 
must  also  be  remembered  that  Trickett  has  always  a  bronchial  affection,  but  we 
do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  he  would  never  beat  Hanlan,  even  if  in  the  best  of 
health.  With  regard  to  Hanlan,  probably  many  years  will  elapse  before  such  a 
perfect  sculler  again  appears." 

Trickett  is  terribly  cut  up  over  his  defeat.  He  thinkfi  Hanlan  a  steam  engine 
in  a  shell,  and  was  greatly  surprised  at  his  opponent's  great  turn  of  npeed  and 
easy  style  of  propelling  his  shell  over  the  water.  It  is  estimated  that  over  £100,- 
000  changed  hands  on  the  race. 

How  Trickett  assumed  the  title  of  champion  oarsman  of  the  world  is  a  mys- 
tery. On  June  27,  1876,  Joseph  Sadler  was  champion  of  England.  Trickett,  un- 
known to  fame,  was  on  a  professional  visit  to  the  land  of  the  rose,  and  made  a 
match  to  "ow  Sadler  over  the  Thames  Championship  Course,  from  Putney  to 
Mortlake,  for  £200  aside.  The  race  was  for  the  championship  of  England,  i.ot 
of  the  world.  Trickett  won  easily  (in  fact  the  race  was  as  one-sided  as  Hanlan's 
race  on  the  Tyne  with  Elliott)  and  rowed  the  distance  in  24m.  45s.  It  must,  how- 
ever, be  remembered  that  in  1876  no  race  between  England  and  Australia  oars- 
men could  carry  with  it  the  championship  of  the  world,  because  at  that  time 
the  oarsmen  of  the  United  States  of  America  proper  were  of  sufficient  reputa- 
tion and  tritd  ability  to  rightfully  claim  a  voice  in  the  disposition  of  the  single 
scull  championship  of  the  world  question.  In  1876  Edward  Hanlan,  Charles  E. 
Courtney,  James  Riley  and  Evan  Morris  were  ready  and  willing  to  row  tvgatnst 
Sadler,  Higgins,  Trickett,  or  any  oarsman  in  the  world.  Hanlan  made  the 
fastest  three-mile  single  scull  time  on  record  at  tho  Centennial  regatta,  beating 
all  comers.  At  that  time  Courtney  was  rowing  three  miles  in  20m.  14s.,  and  Riley 
in  20m.  248.,  while  Morris  was  in  his  prime,  and  looked  upon  as  invincible. 
Trickett,  after  he  defeated  Sadler,  left  England  hastily,  refusing  to  arrange  a 
match  with  Higgins.  He  promised  to  row  in  the  Centennial  regatta  at  Philadel- 
phia, but  failed  to  do  so.  Higgins,  the  then  champion  of  England,  did  so,  and 
was  easily  beaten  by  Hanlan.    Since  1874  no  oarBman  either  in  England  or  Aus- 


•f 


Ilftjil, 


ftm 


S4 


THE  LIFE  OF  EDWARD   HANLAK. 


a 


tralia  oould  lay  any  claim  to  the  single-souU  championship  of  the  world.  If 
there  was  any  oarsman  that  had  a  right  to  style  himself  champion  of  the  world 
it  was  Hanlan.  He  went  to  England,  as  Trickett  did,  but  with  more  publicity, 
and  defeated  Hawdon,  and  then  Elliott,  the  English  champion,  the  latter  being 
a  faster  oarsman  than  Sadler  ever  was,  and  sin  3e  he  has  defeated  the  two  fastest 
oarsmen  in  the  United  States.  Triokett's  titlo  was,  therefore,  an  assumed  on' 
which  he  did  not  usurp  after  he  met  Hanlan  ii^  the  recent  great  race. 

Trickett's  style  and  form  of  rowing  has  greatly  improved  since  he  rowed 
Sadler,  then  the  champion.  He  rows  with  the  same  graceful,  and  altogether  de- 
ceptive, stroke  that  first  brought  him  into  public  notice,  when  he  ran  away  from 
Sadler,  who  was  then  looked  upon  as  the  fastest  oarsman  in  the  world,  as  he  had 
beaten  all  the  champions  at  Montreal,  Canada,  and  in  the  international  open  re- 
gatta at  Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  while  at  home  he  had  ^o  conquered  all  of  the  Thames 
and  Tyne  champions.  Trickett  now  uses  sliding  seats,  and,  it  is  understood,  will 
have  his  boat  fitted  up  with  patent  swivel  rowlocks  and  wind  sail,  the  great 
American  invention  of  Mr.  Davis,  of  Portland.  It  is  a>  well-known  fact  that 
Elliott,  after  he  saw  Hanlan  defeat  Hawdon  on  the  Tyne,  had  a  boat  built  and 
rigged  just  the  same  as  Hanlan '3,  and  b  i  tried  to  copy  Hanlan 's  style.  He  was 
unable  to  do  so,  and  when  he  came  to  tl^d  post  to  moet  the  great  American  oars- 
man he  was  in  a  quandary. 


If 

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ELIAS  C.  LAYCOCK. 


Ellas  0.  Laycock  was  born  In  May,  1846,  in  Pitt  street,  New  South  Wales, 
near  the  spot  where  Triokett'a  hotel  now  stands.  He  is  6ft.  1 1-ain.  In  height,  and 
rows  at  175  lbs.  'His  father  was  the  son  of  Gapt.  Laycook,  one  of  the  first  of 
colonial  pioneers,  and  in  true  English  style  we  may  claim  for  Laycock  a  good  old 
ancestry  dating  back  to  the  "comiuest  of  the  island."  Capt.  Laycock,  as  was 
usual  with  officers  of  the  British  army  serving  in  the  now  colony,  received  several 
extensive  grants  of  land,  but,  little  anticipaLing  tholr  future  value,  considered 
them  little  else  than  unnecessary  encumbrances.  Thus  it  fell  out  that  one  grant 
of  over  300  acres,  with  an  extensive  water  frontage  to  the  harbor,  was  actually 
the  stake  played  for  at  a  game  of  cards,  and  lost.  Of  the  remainder  but  a  smal 
portion  came  to  the  hands  of  Laycock 's  fatlier.  The  increasing  value  of  lam 
however,  coupled  with  a  keener  sense  of  business  than  the  old  Captain's  soou 
gained  for  Mr.  Laycock,  Sr.,  a  comfortable  indeiwndency.  During  the  time  of 
his  father's  prosperity  our  sculler  made  his  first  oppearance  In  the  wo.^ld,  ac- 
cording to  his  own  statement  "with  a  silver  spoon  in  his  mouth."  On  airlvlng 
at  a  sufficiently  mature  age  to  "leai  n  to  shoot,"  he  was  consigned  to  a  boarding 
school  at  Newtown,  supervised  by  the  Eev.  Mr.  Kemp,  and  after  remaining  ihev© 
for  a  few  years  he  changed  to  the  Cleveland  House  School,  Cleveland  Paddockft. 
He  had  been  at  the  latter  place  but  a  short  time  when  an  event  octjurrod  which 
not  only  had  the  effect  of  Influencing  the  whole  course  of  his  future  life,  but 
compelled  him  at  brief  notice  to  strike  out  a  course  and  trust  to  his  own  re- 
sources for  a  livelihood.  It  appears  that  his  father,  a  much  respected  citizen, 
and  at  one  time  a  member  of  Parliament,  owned  the  Prince  of  Wales  Theatre 
and  surrounding  buildings,  on  the  site  of  the  present  Theatre  Boyul ;  in  them 
he  had  invested  his  fortune.  The  prop«^rty  had  always  been  fully  insured,  but, 
whether  Intentionally  or  not  It  Is  hard  to  say,  the  policy  of  Insurance  at  this  par- 
ticular time  was  allowed  to  remain  unrenewed  for  a  couple  of  weeks.  During 
this  fatal  period  a  dreadful  fire  first  totally  consumed  the  theatre,  and  then  the 
surrounding  buildings.  Next  day  Mr.  Laycock  found  himself  a  ruined  man,  his 
losses  being  estimated  at  £40,000.  Young  Laycock  then  commenced  life  on  his 
own  account.  First  on  a  station  in  the  Clareuoe  district,  where  he  was  soon  Ini- 
tiated into  the  arts  and  shifts  of  rough  country  life.  Then  as  a  Bailor  to  Eng- 
land ;  as  a  gold  miner  away  up  on  the  Gilbert  diggings.  Gulf  of  Carf>entaria.  Then 
as  a  stockman  with  cattle  to  Gippsland,  Victoria.  Then  he  returned  to  Sydney 
to  ship  as  second  mate  on  a  coasting  schooner,  making  trips  to  Adelaide,  Mel- 
bourne and  New  Zealand.  He  again  tried  his  hand  at  gold  mining,  but  gave  it 
up  to  commence  rowing  in  1874,  at  a  time  in  life  when  most  rowers  think  of  re- 
tiring and  making  way  for  younger  men,  his  idea  being  that  as  he  could  "ride  a 
buck-jumper,  or  work  in  a  saw-pit  or  gold  claim  with  most  people,  he  should  be 
able  also  to  hold  his  own  on  the  water  with  most  fellows." 

His  opening  engagement  of  importance  wa?  in  1874,  when  on  the  Clarence 
Blver  at  Grafton,  a  regatta  was  organized,  in  which  a  prize  of  £200  was  offered 
for  a  champion  sculling  race.  Success  did  not  crown  Laycock's  efforts  on  this 
occasion,  the  victor  being  Bush,  who  was  followed  home  by  the  now  celebrated 
Edward  Trickett,  Laycook  getting  third  place,  and  beating  Hiokey  and  Green, 

86 


iiiw—iKi.ii  I  ji nwn...— w**<»Miw«>wpiH»iyi.^ 


TWE   UFB  OF  TDWAM>   SAlfLAir. 


I 


both  of  whom  had  been  Australian  champions,  and  the  latter  well  known  by  his 
trip  to  England  several  years  before.  His  next  appearance  as  a  sculler  was  at 
the  Balmaln  Regatta  In  1874,  when  he  again  followed  Trickett  round  the  course. 
We  next  hear  of  Laycook  on  the  Queen's  birth-day,  1875,  when  he  won  the  wager 
boat  race  in  the  regatta  on  the  Clarence  Biver  at  Grafton,  beating  Bush,  who 
gave  up  on  being  collared.  The  colonial  was  after  this  matched  against  his  for- 
mer opponent,  Trickett,  for  £100  a  side,  the  match  being  decided  in  September, 
1675,  on  the  Paramatta  Biver  at  Sydney.  Laycock  sufTered  defeat,  and  both  men 
were  nearly  swamped  by  the  action  of  the  following  steamers.  In  Novembe'*  of 
the  same  year  Laycock  had  to  put  up  with  second  place  behind  the  same  oppo- 
nent at  the  Balmaln  Regatta. 

He  rowed  at  Balmaln,  in  1876,  against  Oreen  and  MulhoUand,  and,  as  might 
have  been  anticipated,  won  easily. 

January  26th  is  held  as  a  fete  day  in  Australia,  that  being  the  anniversary  of 
the  colonization  of  Australia,  and  a  regatta  is  usually  held  at  Sydney  on  the 
occasion.  In  this  event,  in  1877,  he  again  pulled  second  to  Trickett,  who  had 
just  returned  from  his  victorious  journey  to  England.  In  the  Begatta  at  Bal- 
maln, on  the  Prince  of  Wales'  birth-day,  in  the  same  year,  he  was  more  success- 
ful, however,  winning  the  Champion  Sculls,  his  nearest  oppcnents  being  Green 
and  Mahalam.  About  this  time  he  obtained  his  present  position  in  charge  of  the 
Quarantine  Station  at  Shark  Island,  and  shortly  afterward  became  a  married 
man. 

In  July,  1878,  he  rowed  G.  Solomon  in  heavy  beats  for  £60.  As  a  previous 
race  between  the  two  scullers  resulted  in  a  draw,  consequent  ui)on  a  foul,  con- 
siderable Interest  was  centered  in  the  event.  Laycolk,  however,  led  from  the 
start  and  won  easily.  On  Sept.  14,  in  the  same  year,  Laycock  was  matched 
against  C.  Messenger,  son  of  the  well-known  buildei,  for  £100  a  side.  The  con- 
test came  off  on  the  Parametta  Biver,  and  Laycock  secured  the  verdict  after  a 
close  race.  This  race  will  long  be  remembered,  in  consequence  of  the  disgrace- 
ful scene  of  confusion  caused  by  the  steamers  at  the  finish.  Visiting  Newcastle, 
New  Year's  Day,  1879,  he  was  beaten  in  the  watermen's  skiff  race,  principally 
owing  to  his  being  handicapped  by  a  very  heavy  boat. 

At  the  National  Anniversary  Begatta,  Jan.  26, 1879,  in  the  professional  sculls, 
he  beat  Trickett,  and  created  considerable  consternation  by  showing  the  cham- 
pion of  the  world  the  right  direction  to  the  winning  post.  The  crushing  defeat 
the  champion  then  sustained  has  been  variously  accounted  for,  but,  notwith- 
standing all  the  excuses  offered  for  /Trickett,  the  result  of  the  contest  embold- 
ened Laycock  and  his  friends.  The  outcome  of  this  success  was  a  match  with 
Bush,  which  was  brought  to  an  issue  on  the  Paramatta  Biver  in  the  following 
April.  The  stakes  were  £100,  and  Laycock  won  a  good  race  by  a  length  and  a 
half.  Trickett  now  determined  to  have  another  "go"  at  his  late  conqueror.  A 
match  was  accordingly  arranged  between  the  pair  for  £200  a  side.  The  scene  of 
action  was  again  the  Paramatta  Biver  at  Sydney,  and  the  date  Aug.  30, 1879. 
Once  more  the  champion  of  the  world  left  his  rival  in  the  rear.  Only  a  week 
later  Laycock  again  tried  conclusions  with  Bush,  and  again  succeeded  in  van- 
quishing that  redoubtable  oarsman  after  a  capital  struggle.  The  9tb  of  Novem- 
ber ensuing  witnessed  the  annual  aquatic  reunion  at  Balmain,  in  which,  as 
usual,  Laycock  took  part.  On  this  occasion,  in  the  professional  sculls,  he  met 
W.  Trickett  and  Edwards,  and  he  had  to  put  up  with  third  place,  the  other  two 
finishing  first  and  second  in  the  order  named. 

We  now  come  to  the  Anniversary  Begatta  of  the  present  year,  which  took 
place  on  January  26th.  Laycock,  it  will  be  remembered,  won  the  Champion 
Sculls  at  this  meeting  in  1879,  and  he  again  entered  to  compete  for  the  silver  belt 
and  gold  medal  which  gives  the  title  of  Champion  of  Australia.  For  the  second 
time  he  was  successful,  defeating,  amongst  others,  McLeer  and  Sullivan,  who 
finished  2d  and  3d.    The  Colonial  sculler  next  went  in  for  a  novelty  in  boat-rac- 


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nfV  LZn  OF  BDWAMD   HAlfLAN. 


Ing.  He  WM  ohftlleng«d  by  Fearoe,  a  profeMional  watennan,  to  row  oror  tha 
Championship  course  oo  the  Paramatta  River,  at  Sydney,  for  4100  a  side.  Tha 
Innovation  consisted  In  the  stipulation  that  the  race  should  be  contested  in  ordi- 
dlnary  waterman's  sklfTs.  In  the  clumsy  craft  he  found  his  skill  at  fault,  and 
after  rowing  a  plucky  race  under  adverse  circumstances  he  had  to  submit  to  de- 
feat. This  encounter  took  place  In  March,  and  Layoock  only  fulfilled  one  other 
professional  engagement  prior  to  his  present  visit  to  the  old  country.  The  date 
of  this  event  was  May  29,  and  the  scene  Melbourne.  The  race  was  the  inaugura* 
tlon  of  a  Sculling  Championship  of  Victoria,  and  was  got  up  by  the  Yiotorla 
Bowing  Association.  The  prize  was  a  £50  challenge  cup  and  a  sum  of  money. 
The  trophy  hud  to  bo  won  thric^e  in  succession,  being  held  for  two  ycartt  against 
all  comers.  Six  uf  the  best  scullers  in  the  colony  entered  for  the  event,  and  Lay* 
cock's  opponents  were  8.  Edwards,  W.  Greenland,  J.  Miller,  C.  Messenger,  and 
B.  Edwards.  Oreat  Interest  was  taken  in  this  oontefit,  and  every  yard  of  vantaga 
ground  was  occupied  by  ardent  spectators.  The  struggle,  nevertheless,  was  con- 
sidered such  a  certainty  for  the  Sydney  representative  (Laycock),  that  odds  of  8 
to  1  offered  on  him  went  almost  begging.  A  number  of  steamers  followed  the 
race,  which  was  started  by  Mr.  A.  D.  Mlohie.  The  mon  were  sent  off  to  a  capi- 
tal even  beginning,  S.  Edwards  at  once  cutting  out  the  work,  Messenger  going 
on  second.  Half  a  mile  from  the  outset  B.  Edwards  bud  taken  the  front  place, 
then  came  S.  Edwards,  and  Messenger  and  Laycock  next,  about  five  lengths  be- 
hind the  leader.  The  last  named  began  to  draw  up  rapidly.  S.  Edwards,  keep- 
ing in  Laycock's  water,  tried  to  shut  the  latter  out,  and  a  bad  foul  occurred, 
which  nearly  settled  Laycock's  chance.  He  got  away  at  length,  having  lost  fifty 
yards.  Once  more  the  Sydney  sculler  began  to  close  up  the  gap,  and  rounding 
the  long  bend  he  passed  Messenger  and  quickly  collared  B.  Edwards.  A  good 
race  ensued  for  some  distance,  followed  by  a  series  of  fouls,  after  which  Laycock 
headed  B.  Edwards,  and  passed  the  judge  a  winner  by  a  length.  Messenger  did 
not  finish,  and  none  of  the  others  wore  placed. 

Soon  after  Laycock  sailed  for  England,  and  lost  no  time  in  arranging  several 
races  over  the  Thames  Championship  Course,  from  Putney  to  Mortlake.  Octo- 
ber 6,  he  easily  beat  T.  Blackman ;  November  2,  he  conquered  O.  H.  Hosmerwith 
equal  ease ;  November  6,  ho  fairly  romped  away  from  J.  H.  Biley,  and  November 
13  he  received  forfeit  from  J.  Hawdon,  with  whom  he  had  arranged  his  fourth 
match  on  English  waters. 

Laycock  is  a  more  compactly-built  man  than  Trlokett.  He  has  a  fine,  fair- 
bearded  Saxon  face,  bearing  on  it  the  stamp  of  courage  and  determination. 
When  in  his  ordinary  attire  he  has  by  no  means  so  neat  an  appearance  as  his 
rival.  He  is  careless  of  his  looks,  and  is  so  deliberate  in  his  movements  that 
one  on  cursorily  meeting  him  would  not  be  inclined  to  credit  him  with  the  vigor 
and  energy  he  undeniably  possesses.  It  is  only  when  seen  in  his  jersey,  ready 
for  a  row,  that  his  splendid  proportions  become  strikingly  apparent.  In  the 
words  of  one  of  his  most  intimate  friends,  he  "only  wakes  up  when  he  gets  into 
his  boat," 


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